Their Master's Son
by Epsilon Scorpii
Summary: When Gildarts leaves for a 100 year quest, Fairy Tail's shortage of S-Class wizards causes their reputation to fall into decline. A young Laxus decides to step up and build the strongest team in the kingdom to establish their power again, once and for all. Slight AU, starts from Year X777.
1. Chapter 1

**Their Master's Son**

SUMMARY: When Gildarts leaves for a 100 year quest, Fairy Tail's shortage of S-Class wizards causes their reputation to fall into decline. A young Laxus decides to step up and build the strongest team in the kingdom to establish their power again, once and for all. Slight AU, starts from Year X777.

NOTES:

1\. For the purposes of this story, Ivan's banishment from the guild has not yet occurred. The exact time frame isn't explicitly mentioned in canon, though by the flashbacks we know that it actually happened when Laxus was still a teenager. The Raijinshuu has yet to arrive in Fairy Tail either; (I assume they only met when Laxus was older, for we see no sign of them in Natsu's younger days).

2\. Gildarts only leaves for the 100 year quest later in the timeline in canon. I have shifted the event forwards by a few years. At this point he is possibly Fairy Tail's sole heavyweight aside from Makarov himself, for all the S-Class mages we have been introduced to have either yet to arrive in the guild or have yet to be promoted. Such is the case that I feel it's entirely reasonable that Fairy Tail's ranking in terms of power force is growing precarious; after all, is there anyone else qualified to take an S-Class quest besides Gildarts himself?

3\. I have always felt that Laxus is a fascinating character who deserves a lot more exploration; he is a leader, strong, charismatic and with a good heart, but like everyone else he has his scars too, and he does not always make the right decisions. I toyed with the idea of exploring this little arc, and this is the result. Enjoy!

Canon timeline of members joining Fairy Tail (assumptions highlighted in bold):  
X772 – Cana (6)  
X774 – Gray (8)  
X776 – Erza (11)  
X777 – Natsu **(X+11)** , **Mystogan** **(12)**  
X778 – Mirajane (13), Elfmann (12), Lisanna (11). Laxus becomes an S-Class Mage (17).

* * *

 **Arc 1  
\- Year X777 -**

It was the sharp, acid whiff of hard liquour blown in by the stiff night breeze which alerted him to his quarry's approach. Silently Laxus pushed off against the wall he had been commandeering, stretched, and listened. In his experience scent had always been the quickest to betray, followed by sound. He closed his eyes, priming his focus to his augmented hearing, and found his answer. Approaching from north-west, quick and light on its feet, reaching in approximately… one minute.

He allowed a subtle wave of probe magic to roll outwards around his general vicinity, expanding its radius until he came across what he was looking for. He identified it easily enough: an uncommon store of latent power, stagnant and of unidentifiable origin. Below that thrummed a different sort of magic, its nature spidery and caliginous. It felt like brushing against tangible smoke. Laxus' eyes narrowed. Now that was interesting.

The silent pitter-patter of footsteps drew closer still, and then halted. Laxus straightened, and thunder rumbled overhead. Time to get to business.

His quarry was a short, middle-aged man dressed in a black shirt and khaki pants. On his right index finger he wore a plain ring fashioned from three fused silver bands with no apparent engraving. To the incurious eye it was an unassuming piece of jewellery, but Laxus' probe magic zoomed in on it immediately.

"You can come out now, boy," the man called out jauntily into the silence. Likely he didn't know who he was dealing with. "I know you're there."

Wordlessly Laxus complied. He emerged from the shadows to walk straight up to the man, his posture tall and confident. In the next moment he was towering over the other, arms folded across his chest. The man's foot twitched, as if he would very much like to step back, before he thought the better of it and stood his ground.

"And here I'd thought you would be taller," Laxus said mockingly, with a touch of deliberate surprise.

The man flushed. "Okay, okay, boy, you're bigger than me, happy?" he snapped. "What do you want?"

Laxus raised his eyebrows. "If I told you something so obvious it would be degrading your intellect."

The man's fist tightened imperceptibly over the strap of his rucksack. "Well, tough luck. Sorry boy, you're big and muscly and all that, but I can't give you this so easily."

"At least you're honest about it. I like that."

The man shrugged. "I ain't no creeping thief. I'm a robber. People who try to resist me only end up getting hurt. I don't like hurting people, no I don't, but sometimes they are just so stubborn. Like you, I suppose." He took a step back, rolled his shoulders and shifted into a fighting stance. "Let's sort this out and get it over with, shall we? If you win, I'll give you the bag, and I promise never to return here. If _I_ win, you'll forget this whole business, pack up and go home like a good little boy, eh?"

Laxus frowned. Something was off. "You seem very confident."

"Well, duh. No one can beat me in a fight, not even a trained mage," the man said matter-of-factly. He flexed his hand, and light flashed off his ring. "Want to know why? I, Spectre, wield a form of Lost Magic. At first contact you'll become paralyzed. Then I will look into your eyes and control you. I will wipe your mind and alter everything you know until all you know is obedience, _my_ will." He stepped closer, grinning up in Laxus' face. "And you know what's the best bit? You'll think you're acting of your own accord. Until I release you, that is. You'd go on living like a puppet, never knowing what I – EHHH!"

In a flash Laxus had fired a bolt of energy at the rucksack. It fell to the ground in a messy pile of burnt nylon, spilling its contents everywhere. A few battered pieces of fruit rolled out of the bag, followed by a few snacks. Laxus kicked it over; the rest of it was empty. Something in his mind clicked.

The strange tension when he showed up at the village chief's house for the job. The scant reward. Now things were quickly falling into place. The village chief had probably been hoping that no one would have taken the job. Had an average mage wandered into their trap, Spectre would probably have made good on his word and cast a mind-control curse. Laxus straightened. Well, too bad for them, he thought. He had never once been _average._ While Spectre's ring might contain an ancient power, its wielder was embarrassingly weak in comparison. There was no way he could maintain it over anyone over any extended period of time, let alone someone of Laxus' strength. Then there was the fact that Spectre had just blabbed out the nature of his magic in his moment of arrogance coupled with drunkenness, which anyone who wielded Mind Magic would identify as an extremely stupid thing to do.

"Sorry _Spectre_ ," Laxus drawled, his hands curling into fists. "No deal."

He leapt forwards, quick as streaking lightning, fist pulsing with power. His first blow caught the man in the cheek, but Spectre somehow managed to throw up a flimsy defence. At the touch of its owner's magic, Spectre's ring flared to life, and Laxus found himself facing a near-solid purple blue shield.

"Not so fast, lightning-boy," Spectre grinned. He drew his hands together as if in prayer, and power rippled out from him, dark and ancient was its origin. Cloying mist gathered around him, streaks of heavy purple and indigo, poised and ready to attack. Spectre threw his head back and began to chant -

" **Curse of the Ancient Scr-"**

Laxus had always been faster.

" **Raging Bolt!"** Laxus commanded.

Thunder cleaved the skies. In the next moment, a pillar of lightning lanced down from the heavens to incinerate everything within its vicinity. Trees fell with an almighty crash; the lights in the street winked out before abruptly bursting into flames. The man never stood a chance.

Laxus strode over and retrieved the ring from Spectre's blackened fingers. He was met with little resistance. He turned it over between his fingers, running his thumb across the now dull surface.

"By the way, it wasn't Lost Magic," Laxus said, conversationally. He pocketed it, smirked as the man made a high keening whimper as he turned to leave. "But I'm afraid it is now."

* * *

The village chief was all charmed and delighted when Laxus arrived with the news that their notorious resident robber had been dealt with. As the villagers gathered, the chief fashioned the promised reward out of thin air and presented it to Laxus. In that brief moment, Laxus caught the familiar scent of his magic; caliginous and slippery, like smoke.

" – on behalf of the village of Forren, Wisteria and Fennin - please accept it as a token of appreciation from all of us."

Applause rang in his ears. Laxus took the money from the man, clenching it in his fist, but something made him pause. He could simply leave it at that; he had, after all, received what was due. It wasn't even a handsome sum. Besides he had already taken measures to ensure that the villagers would discover the deception for themselves soon enough. But strangely, there was something about the admiration of the locals, their open adoration and gratitude that weighed heavily in his heart. Also, he could think of a number of Fairy Tail members who wouldn't approve. Namely, Gramps. Laxus sighed. _All this trouble for nothing,_ he thought.

He turned towards the door as if to leave, but right before he crossed the threshold, he stopped, back half-turned.

"By the way," he began casually, "I think I may have something for you, Chief."

He slipped his hand into his pocket and produced Spectre's ring. Even while holding it he could feel its power, dark and sticky and saccharine, like licorice. The Chief froze.

"I-It's not – what is it, is that a ring?" he said with a failed attempt nonchalance.

Laxus wasn't fooled.

"Oh, is it not yours then?" Laxus countered, and he made an involuntary gesture as if he were going to keep it for himself.

The village chief was white as a sheet. "Y-yes it's mine!" he stammered before thinking the better of it. He caught himself, stopped and recovered quickly. "Ah, I see, you must have gotten it from Spectre! It's an old family heirloom, you see. Yes, he must have stolen it from me, that bastard – "

Laxus cocked his head to one side. "It must be a precious to you," he mused.

The village chief nodded once, then twice, fervently. He reached out involuntarily, as if expecting Laxus to hand it over. "Yes, it is. I… thank you, I will forever remember the help of Fairy Tail – "

"You should have taken better care of it, then."

With a single thought, motes of lightning sparked to life around his fingertips – and Laxus crushed the ring in his fist. It resisted a moment before crumbling into dust. The wind whistling through the open door snatched the rest of it quickly, which glittered momentarily before falling softly to the floor. Around him, the crowd looked on, stunned.

He turned back to look at the village chief, a warning hard and clear in his stormy eyes.

"One more thing," he said, silkily, sparks dancing threateningly around his fists. "I do not accept money from thieving fiends."

Without ceremony Laxus proceeded to throw the reward on the floor, every last Jewel he'd accepted from the man. Cash scattered around their feet, fluttering feebly in the gradually building storm.

"10,000 Jewels is all you could afford, after collecting donations from three other neighbouring villages?" he said, voice hard and dangerous. "I don't think so."

He turned around to face the rest of the villagers, thunder overhead roiling to match his ire.

"Your robbed belongings are currently stored in your chief's house," he said in a clipped tone, voice pitched to carry. "The door to his private storage has been conveniently left open. You will also find your robber 'Spectre' lying on his doorstep. Not terribly threatening charred black and without his ring, I imagine. As for the rest, I'll leave it to you to deal with your _chief._ "

Then, unheeding of the gasps of shock and the open-mouthed stares from the villagers, Laxus walked out of the door, into the brewing storm.

* * *

 **\- [1] Natsu -**

Laxus returned to the guild wet, weary and irritable, to the stench of something foul burning.

It did not take long for him to locate the source. It was a small boy younger than he was, sporting a head full of spiky pink hair and wrapped in a strange white scaly-scarf, drooling fire. Enough fire, it seemed, to burn steadily through the guild floor.

Laxus stared at the scene, aghast. None of the other occupants seemed particularly bothered by the noxious smell, which mingled with the strong unpleasant miasma of alcohol, but then again his sense of smell was greatly augmented. He suspected none of them were aware of the patch of burnt floor either. The adults were, unsurprisingly, too busy indulging in either alcohol or vapid gossip.

For a fleeting moment a wave of frustration and anger rose in him – _so placid, so complacent, the lot of them –_ before he ruthlessly squashed the thought. Gramps was still their leader. ( _They did not deserve a place here.)_ They were Fairy Tail, the strongest guild in all of Fiore _(hanging there by a thread)._ It was enough.

Behind him, someone entered through the open door and made a noise of disgust. He didn't need to turn around to identify the newcomer, but he did anyway.

"Father," Laxus greeted, though he was careful to keep the warmth from his voice. Affection was not something Ivan encouraged. "What are you doing here? You rarely visit the guild."

Ivan barely acknowledged his presence. The elder man's face was twisted in an ugly grimace as he witnessed the inebriated state of the guild members.

"Look at them," he said soft but angry, and full of loathing. "Worthless drunkards, the load of them. They would lie here and waste away, while _we_ fight every day for the reputation of our guild, and the basic funds to keep this dump _running_. They should just be thrown out to the dogs, the filthy bastards."

His heart thumped faster at the insult, but he refused to openly acknowledge it. Instead, he said, "Gramps won't like you talking like that."

Ivan gave a short bark of laughter. "He can say whatever shit he likes, I don't give a damn. If he can't see what he's doing to the guild, accepting filth left right and centre – then he's going mad. They will only become our ruin. If he doesn't turn them out, _I_ will leave before that."

With that comment Ivan stormed out as soon as he had come, leaving Laxus standing by himself at the doorway. He stood there rooted as his thoughts knotted into a cold, dense tangle. Uncertain.

Granted, it was hardly the first time Ivan had made a similar threat. It certainly wouldn't be his last. But Laxus couldn't help but wonder when Ivan would really make good of it. After all, there was no way Makarov would come to a compromise. _Our guild is our family,_ his grandfather always used to say _. Things like reputation or money are of little consequence, and such grudges should never be held against each other._ Fairy Tail would always be home to anyone who needed one.

But what _was_ a family? They never really cared for each other, him and the rest of the members - at least not beyond their own personal interest. To them he was always just 'Makarov's grandson', just as Ivan was 'Makarov's son'. He went on his business and they went on with theirs. The only thing that bound them together was an identical mark branded against their skin; much like the blood ties between him and Ivan. But perhaps that was what it meant, he thought. A physical display of unity, nothing less, but nothing more either.

" – someone leave the door open? I can feel a cold draft wafting in," someone complained from the bar. Eventually they noticed him. "Oi, it's Makarov's grandson."

"You're back," another called lazily, and Laxus knew they could hardly care less. "Shut the door properly will you, you're letting all the warmth out."

He turned and did as he was told. The adults turned back to their idle chatter.

" – hear about the beauty pageant contest last week, the girl was a real looker – "

" – Karen, wasn't it? I dunno, I think I preferred the runner-up, her clothes weren't quite so eccentric – "

"For goodness' sake it's called fashion, Wakaba. If you can't appreciate that…"

The new boy was beginning to stir from his position on the floor. Laxus filtered out his thoughts and the conversation around him to focus on the strange addition to their guild. All around the boy, the polished hardwood was steadily being reduced to brittle coal. Not only did he drool a lot, it seemed as though his fire possessed an atypical amount of latent power.

A Dragon-Slayer, perhaps…?

Intrigued, Laxus randomly snatched a flyer lying on the ground. It was a trivial little job with a paltry reward, dated weeks ago. He sent a few sparks skittering across the paper with a single thought, watched as it caught fire. Then he nudged the boy roughly with his foot.

"Oi. A treat for you."

A pair of bright, slanting eyes opened to regard him curiously. Laxus simply tossed over the small ball of fire, and watched in fascination as the younger boy immediately devoured it whole without question. When he was finished, Laxus stood back and appraised the Fire Dragon-Slayer with interest.

"What's your name?" he asked.

The boy grinned back. "I'm Natsu!"

* * *

"You were raised by a dragon?"

"Igneel," Natsu said, a hint of impatience in his voice. "His name is Igneel. He's taken care of me for as long as I can remember, but he suddenly disappeared on me. I searched for him everywhere but I couldn't find him."

 _A real Dragon-Slayer,_ Laxus thought, delighted. If Natsu could be trained to wield his powers… the possibilities were endless. Together, they would be nigh invincible. It didn't matter if the adults were slowly whittled down to the weak, the intoxicated and the craven – Fairy Tail would have a strong younger generation rising up to take their place, with him as their leader. Erza, he knew, was already growing to be a fearsome warrior of her own right. Then there was also the rest – Cana, who was proficient at Card magic, and Gray, who apparently used Ice magic.

He could help them to grow stronger, he thought, with a quiet flare of hope. Shape them into a formidable team that would quell the budding rumours of Fairy Tail's decline, and together they could establish the power of their guild again, once and for all.

Perhaps then, Ivan would be proud of their guild – be proud of _him_ – and maybe, he would want to stay.

" – and so I kept walking and walking by myself, and one day Gramps – our Master - found me and brought me here," Natsu finished. He frowned up at Laxus from his cross-legged position on the floor. "Come to think of it, why haven't I seen you around? It's been some time since I've been here."

"I've been out on a few errands," Laxus said airily, not bothering to elaborate. "I haven't been back for a fortnight."

Natsu was immediately fascinated. "Really?! What sort of errands? Are you taking on mage jobs? What sort of mage are you? How much did you earn?"

Laxus' mood darkened slightly at the line of questions. "For my last job, not a jewel," he replied, keeping his voice carefully light.

Natsu was uncomprehending. "You forgot to collect your payment?"

"I refused to take any of it," Laxus corrected, with a faint prickle of irritation. At Natsu's wordless prompt, Laxus continued. "There was a request to eliminate a local robber who apparently wielded incredible power," he elaborated. "Turns out he was in league with the village chief all along. They're brothers. When the loot from the small village proved insufficient, the chief gathered money from the surrounding villages to offer a reward for any mage who would neutralize the robber, though he secretly kept a large portion for himself. I didn't want any of their money, so I threw it on the floor and left."

"That's so cool!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You ended up throwing your payment after working for two weeks? What about the chief? Was he really powerful?"

Laxus privately wondered if Natsu understood much of it, if any at all. "That was only my last job. I went on a few others before then," he said, only managing to answer the first question.

At that, both chief and the robber were immediately forgotten. Laxus wasn't surprised. In the short time they had met, Natsu had displayed a keen but extremely short-lived interest for everything – from Laxus' room to their current conversation.

"You mean you went on more than one job? That's amazing! Did you beat up any monkeys? I met a monkey once, it was huge and it attacked me. But the next time I see it I'm going to kick its butt! What magic did you say you use again? Say, Laxus, do you have anything to eat? I'm starving!"

Laxus' brow furrowed at the rapid-fire and questioned the wisdom of his decision to bring the boy back to his place. Still, it was nice to talk to someone new for a change. Granted, Natsu did not seem terribly intelligent, neither did he have the makings of a cool-headed warrior Laxus had been hoping to cultivate… but he was different. For the first time since he could remember, someone was looking at him as who he was – simply, Laxus – and nobody else. Not Ivan's child, and certainly not Makarov's grandson. He could not expect the deception (or rather, omission of truth) to last for long, but he found himself revelling in the novelty when it did.

With a deliberate snap of his fingers, Laxus conjured a bolt of thunder in his hands. Its warmth crackled comfortably against his skin, like the glow of open wonder on Natsu's face.

"You're a thunder mage?!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He jumped to his feet, two balls of fire circling his fists. "Laxus! Fight me!" he demanded.

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Tomorrow," he promised, at the same time his fist shot out to land squarely on the top of Natsu's head, flattening the younger boy instantaneously. Not too hard, but he hadn't pulled it either. He allowed himself a grin at the sight. "Tonight, you can sleep here. My room has been charmed so that it's impervious to fire," – _or lightning -_ "…so there's no chance of the building burning down because of your drool."

Natsu rubbed his head absently, looking rather confused. Laxus went over and rifled through his backpack for his leftover rations before throwing them over. Natsu caught a few but some hit him dead on his head.

"I'm afraid that's the best you're going to get at this hour," Laxus said with a shrug. He replaced his bag, grabbed a towel and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'm going for a shower. Don't touch anything if you know what's good for you. Goodnight."

He turned and left for the door. Natsu however managed to get the last word in.

"Tomorrow, then! You promised!"

Laxus gave the boy a careless wave to show that he understood. Still, he had to hide a smirk as he headed for his bath. Tomorrow, at least, there would be something to look forwards to.

* * *

Laxus woke with a crick in his neck to sunlight pouring through his window.

He had returned from his bath last night to a mess of food wrappers on his floor and Natsu sleeping soundly on his bed. He found that he was unable to begrudge the boy for the latter offence – he had, after all, neglected to mention _where_ exactly Natsu would be sleeping, despite assuming the sleeping bag on the floor had been the obvious choice. The litter, however, was another matter entirely.

In the end, too tired for an argument, Laxus had simply cleared it up himself the best he could, before sinking to the floor himself. He briefly entertained the notion of shoving the boy out of his bed, but oblivion claimed him before the notion could take hold.

Now, staring at the utter disarray of things and his tangled unmade sheets, Laxus was beginning to have second thoughts about his leniency. The loud, boisterous pink-haired boy was nowhere to be found; he'd probably wandered back to the guild after waking in search of something to eat.

He better hoped he would stay that way for the time being, Laxus thought rather irritably. If he found Natsu within the next hour, he might just give the other a thrashing. Then again, the time limit might just be irrelevant. He had promised Natsu a fight, after all.

He went through his morning ablutions with rote-learned efficiency, warmed up, trained in physical combat for an hour, meditated another half, showered, and changed. When he finally went down to the guild, the bar was already filled with its regular customers lounging around with their midday drink. Laxus nodded curtly in their direction before making his way to an empty table for a meal. Normally he would have preferred eating out, away from the rowdy guild and their rumbustiousness, but today was an exception. He had a Dragon-Slayer to train. Or rather, to thrash.

He made quick work of his beef stew and downed the rest of his energy drink. For a moment he allowed himself to feel contented as the weariness of a rough fortnight's worth of travel melted away from his shoulders. On his first team mission weeks ago, during an arduous trek in the Phoenix Mountains, Macao had once stopped to sigh wistfully at the horizon in the direction of Magnolia. _Home,_ he'd said, and Wakaba had greatly shared his longing. Laxus had merely attributed their cravings to the lack of booze on their journey. He now wondered suddenly if this was what they had missed. The vociferous arguments blossoming every now and then at the bar, the scuffles which broke out as quickly as they resolved themselves, the permanent miasma of alcohol and sweat, the admittedly, delicious food. He had never been overtly fond of any of the above, save perhaps the last, but after the long solitude, Laxus perceived that there was a strange… _rightness_ to it.

"LAXUS! Laxus, you're up!"

He turned around fully, reverie shattered. Natsu was bounding excitedly towards him, a ball of flames in hand. Behind him trailed Gray, looking extremely annoyed. Erza was nowhere to be found.

"Fight me Laxus!" Natsu declared loudly, jumping up on his table to prove his point. "Go on, you promised!"

This inevitably drew attention from the adults. Laxus fought the urge to groan. Perhaps coming indoors had been a bad idea after all. He'd meant for them to settle things outside – preferably a large expanse with no onlookers and a wide margin of allowance for collateral damage. Now however things were rapidly derailing out of hand.

"You're challenging _Laxus_ now?" someone called from the bar, sounding amused. "There's no way you can beat him yet."

Natsu ignored this completely in favour of a full battle-charge. " **Roar of the Fire Dragon -**!"

Laxus simply pushed out his palm facing outwards, tell-tale sparks dancing in flickers around his fingertips. Immediately Natsu's flames were smothered into non-existence. But the Fire Dragon-Slayer was anything but not tenacious. In the next second he had launched his next attack, and the next –

" **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame! Flaming Horn of the Fire Dragon!"**

Once again, his attacks were completely nullified against Laxus. Fire Dragon-Slayer he might be, but without proper training or attaining any refinement which came with maturity, Natsu's power was limited at best. Laxus rose to his feet completely unscathed. If this was how Natsu wanted to play his hand, so be it.

"I think it's time for payback now," he drawled, allowing himself a smirk.

Without another word, he drew back and punched Natsu right in the face, lightning sparking around his fist. The younger boy gave a howl of pain and swiped at him with a fireball but missed. Laxus was briefly tempted to draw it out, just to see what else the boy could do, but he recognized that a heavily one-sided battle in front of a watching crowd won him few merits. He swiftly conjured a bolt of lightning in his fist and slammed it down on the boy's head, though he was careful to reign in his blow. Natsu crashed face-first into the table pitifully to the applause of the onlookers; the men had always loved a fight.

"Tough luck, boy," one called, laughing. "You'll need to train for a long time before you're up to Laxus' level."

"Of course Natsu couldn't have beaten him," another said, "That's Makarov's grandson for you."

The small flicker of pride in his chest withered and died. They said it so easily, _Makarov's grandson._ Like his power could be attributed to nothing but his bloodline alone, not his rigorous training or his hard work. How simply everything else could be overlooked, because he was just living up to a family _name._

Resentment bubbled up in him, sharp and ugly. With effort he reigned in his temper, opting instead to raise an eyebrow, arms folded across his chest.

"Think twice before challenging me again next time," he said, coolly, his heart still thudding hard in his chest.

He turned and walked away, from the awed whispers and applause of the watching crowd.

* * *

"You didn't fight me properly," was Natsu's first accusation upon finding him idly watching the gentle flow of the river, near the outskirts of the woods. Laxus didn't bother to respond to the statement.

"You're good at picking up scents," he said instead. Natsu shrugged and settled down beside him.

"I found your scent when I was running into the forest to avoid Erza," he confided in a low voice, his tone perfectly serious. "She got mad cus' I drew on her face when she was sleeping." Natsu gave a dramatic shudder. "Erza is very scary when she's mad."

Laxus raised a single brow. "You would be afraid of her, but not me?" he asked, half in jest, half curious.

He did not doubt that she was a formidable opponent, but still his skills were unrivalled in their age group.

Natsu shrugged as if it were obvious and leaned back on his paunches. "Erza is like, _scary_ scary," he explained eloquently. "She's super strong too. I challenged her to a fight the other day and got beaten up. Man it really hurt!" He squinted up at Laxus curiously. "Hang on, do you mean that _you_ can beat Erza in a fight?"

Laxus scoffed. "Of course. I'm _Master Makarov's grandson_ after all, aren't I?" The bitterness of the title still lingered, heavy even as an afterthought.

Here it was Natsu's turn to scoff. "What does being anyone's grandson got to do with anything?" he said dismissively. "Can you really beat Erza?"

Laxus blinked, caught off guard. For years he had trained hard to escape the weight of that shadow. Believed that perhaps, if he surpassed even Makarov himself, people would learn to acknowledge him for his own. That finally, the person who had understood him at all was a boy younger than himself – none too bright, but not slow either – it filled him with a strange sort of amusement.

"I could," he replied honestly. Slowly, he loosened a fist he did not realize he'd clenched until then. Then he caught Natsu's mouth opening for the obvious request out of the corner of his eye and snuffed out the sparks dancing around his fingertips forcefully. "But I'm not going to give you a demonstration, if that's what you're going to ask."

Natsu was indignant. "Why not! Are you scared of Erza too?" he challenged.

"No," Laxus said firmly. "My power is not meant for fighting my comrades."

"You agreed to fight _me_!" Natsu protested loudly, literally spitting fire as he hopped on foot to the next.

"I am open to challenges," Laxus replied, "and I do not mind a friendly spar to gauge the levels of my peers. But instigating one when my victory is already certain does not do me any favours." On the other hand, there was no need of frightening mere ants with his power. Derogatory it may sound, but certainly true. Erza might be a worthy opponent, but she was not his equal. Not yet. He got up, brushing off moss and dirt.

"I did have second intentions when I agreed to fight you, however," Laxus said, and he flashed Natsu a grin. It was almost predatory. "I have never met another Dragon-Slayer before, and I admit to be curious. Come on, show me what you've really got."

The effect was instantaneous. Natsu leapt up from his perch, eyes blazing at the challenge. "You'll fight me properly this time? Promise?"

Laxus rolled back his shoulders. "Don't cry for mercy later, because I'll have none," he warned.

Natsu's face brightened. In the next second he sprang up into the air, hands fisted around golden fire.

" **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"**

* * *

The merciless persona had, obviously, been a lie.

Laxus had to pull back his attacks in fear of inflicting some serious damage, but he had to admit that the Fire Dragon-Slayer was definitely more durable than most. Time after time the boy was repetitively hit by bolts of his lightning, but instead of getting discouraged, the curious boy only intensified his attacks. He also shouted the most humorous things at the top of his lungs, like "IT DOESN'T HURT! IT DOESN'T DOESN'T DOESN'T AHHHHHH HUUURT!" and "I'M GETTING FIRED UP!". The former grew exponentially in its frequency the longer their fight dragged out.

Eventually Natsu was reduced to a bruised, quivering heap at the foot of a lightning-blasted tree, whining about his future victory in a weak voice. Laxus was primarily amused, but he was also impressed.

"You're not half bad for someone your age," Laxus commented, crossing the distance between them to stand before Natsu.

"Next – time," Natsu wheezed, stubborn to the end. "I – will – beat you. I wiiiilll…"

Laxus folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not sure about that. Though," here he paused for a moment, "I could teach you to become stronger, if you want. I do have an… understanding of Dragon-Slayer abilities."

Natsu sat up so fast he very nearly avoided crashing face-first into Laxus' leg. "You can make me stronger?" he asked, the hope brimming in his eyes threatening to spill over.

Laxus found himself giving the younger boy a smirk-smile, both a threat and a promise.

"Oh, definitely. Though I'm not sure if you are up to it."

Natsu looked as though he could not understand who on earth would _not_ be up for it. "I am. I am, I am, I AM! I'M ALL FIRED UP - !" he shouted with passionate feeling. In response Laxus simply stood there impassively, arms folded as if gauging Natsu's devotion. Yes, he was curious about a dragon-raised Slayer, but he wasn't about to train some unappreciative brat who would grow complacent and give up at the first sign of difficulties. Training was, after all, a continuous, onerous labour. Though, judging from what he'd seen of the boy's character, both attributes did seem rather unlikely.

As if to prove his point, Natsu sat up completely, injuries forgotten. He was bleeding from numerous scrapes all over his body, and Laxus doubted he had more than a drop of magic left in his body; but yet the boy was undeterred. Instead Natsu proceeded to clamber clumsily to his feet, his face set and determined. "Let's start! Where do we start?" Natsu demanded impatiently, as if he wasn't wobbling precariously on his feet.

Laxus felt strangely pleased. _Finally,_ he thought. _Someone else in the guild with a real backbone._

He said none of this out loud.

"We'll start when you become reacquainted with standing properly," Laxus informed him. "…without stumbling all over the place," he interjected, when Natsu opened his mouth to argue. Natsu snapped his mouth shut for a total of three seconds.

"Tomorrow?" the other suggested instead, eagerly.

Laxus turned around to appraise the boy fully. "Will you do everything I tell you to?" he challenged.

Natsu did not even hesitate. "Yes! I will draw a moustache and a beard on Erza's face for you!"

The last bit was quite irrelevant. But…

"Tomorrow, then," Laxus agreed, and he met the boy's smaller fist with his own.

* * *

 _Author's notes:_

 _So... was it okay? *half-hiding I've reread it to the point that I can't even tell if the flow is smooth or not! One of the greatest struggles of writing. And I'm still trying to find my voice, somewhere. :/ I would really appreciate a beta. If anyone is interested, please PM me._

 _Review pretty pretty please? :)_

 _..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Their Master's Son**

Sorry for the late update, I've been swamped with work. Massive thanks to my dear reviewers: _Dearly Fictitious, Sir Ezquisitoh, WhiteShaq01, SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, AACM25 and Guest,_ you really made my day! :3 This chapter is dedicated to you guys!

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Despite being the one responsible for initiating their training, Laxus found himself in a quandary when the following day rolled around.

Had his first apprentice of sorts been anyone else, Laxus would have chosen to proceed with durability training first. But Dragon-Slayers, by default, already prepossessed an innate resilience. He did not think that Natsu would benefit much from such a regime. The next item on his mental list would have been core training via meditation. But then again, it was a mental exercise which required sharp focus rarely attainable at a young age. Besides, he did not doubt that Natsu had a startling lack of talent in that aspect.

In the end, Laxus decided to settle with an unconventional but highly effective method – the waterfall meditation. It was a technique passed down the line of Dreyars, one he'd frequently practised himself. Natsu might have the concentration of a magpie in a treasure trove, but surely being thrown under such an immense amount of pressure would give him the means necessary to tap into his core and release his magical Origin. While it was a highly radical form of practice, which would doubtless prove to be extremely strenuous for the young mages, Natsu, Laxus was certain, would be able to manage it ably.

With that thought in mind, they proceeded to the waterfall. Thirty minutes later, with a drenched limp body slung over his shoulder, Laxus was forced to revise that conjecture.

The others, as it turned out, also shared the opinion. Their reactions however were a tad over-exaggerated.

"You threw him under a _waterfall?_ " Reedus exclaimed, looking horrified.

"Did Natsu die?" a small blue-headed girl trilled.

Laxus did not truly see what the fuss was about. "Of course not," he scorned. "He's a Dragon-Slayer. He's fine. We'll head back to the waterfalls after he's all bandaged up."

The rest of the guild stared at him, utterly scandalized.

"Not all healed?" Reedus questioned, looking rather alarmed. "After he's all _bandaged up_?"

"Of course," Laxus said matter-of-factly. "We barely made any progress."

They exchanged uneasy glances. Nab approached him slowly with a gentle reasoning look on his tanned face, flapping his wrist in a gesture meant to convince.

"Come now, Laxus, perhaps it is not completely necessary – "

Laxus felt a dark stab of irritation. He cut him off with a look of purest loathing. "For the guild to continue harbouring the likes of you, yes, I would say it is _completely necessary_ ," Laxus snapped, suddenly. He recognized the other; a member who had contributed little in way of skill or money but had soaked up the comforts the guild offered like a sponge. In Laxus' eyes he was little more than a parasite.

Nab blanched and shrunk back, as if bitten. Erza shot him a warning glance.

"Laxus, that is no way to speak to your fellow comrade," Erza said sharply.

Laxus raised his eyebrows. "Really? So I should keep silent out of _decorum,_ when he does not need to work out of _responsibility_?" he said acidly. He knew objectively that the situation was rapidly derailing out of hand, but he was quite unable to bring himself to care.

Nab flushed a dull red, visible even beneath the tan of his skin. "I _do_ work, I'm just waiting for a job that's all!"

"What job?" Laxus snapped, at the same time Erza said, "Laxus, stop it!" but he ignored her all the same. "Jobs are flooding in almost every single day. There are jobs which require skill, jobs which require brawn, jobs which require brains, and jobs which require none of the above. You seem to fit the last category perfectly, yet I do not see you doing any work."

"I'm just not as strong as you, alright – " Nab began, but was abruptly choked off when Laxus' hand reached out to grab him by the collar of his shirt.

"You are not weak," Laxus scoffed, "you are _worthless."_

"ENOUGH!"

In a flash Erza had drawn her sword and was pointing it at Laxus. Laxus stared down at her, barely half his size, and felt a sense of amusement.

"What are you going to do? You can try stabbing me, Erza, but we all know how that would end."

Erza's eyes were hard as steel. "Release him."

Laxus' teeth flashed. "Make me."

They glared down hard at each other, Laxus' electricity crackling menacingly in the air. Erza didn't react at all. Around them, the guild had fallen silent; those who had gathered to watch stepped back surreptitiously to give the pair a wide berth. Reedus looked from one mage to the other helplessly, while the blue-haired girl hung behind, looking terrified. Gray looked equally fearful, if only of Erza's expressionless face.

The tension was abruptly broken by a loud noise of excitement.

"Hang on, hang on, I can't see – I can't see! I wanna see the fight!"

Natsu's head of spiky pink hair popped into sight. His entire body was swathed in bandages, but his eyes were bright with excitement. He looked from Laxus to Erza expectantly, like a child eagerly awaiting a present.

Almost immediately the weight of the atmosphere dissipated, if only by a fraction. Laxus let go of Nab with a rough shove, causing the other to stumble heavily into the crowd of onlookers. Nab immediately pawed through the crowd, desperate to get away from him.

Still, Erza's sword remained level at his neck. Laxus raised an eyebrow.

"Would you still like to start?" he questioned, the threat tangible in his words.

If he had briefly entertained the thought of recruiting Erza before, now the notion was both unlikely and undesirable. Erza glowered at him for a moment, before grudgingly lowering her weapon. He could almost hear the crowd release the breath they had been holding. Natsu glanced from one face to another, looking first confused then disappointed.

"Wait what? Why aren't you guys fighting?" he exclaimed.

Laxus ignored this completely. His temper was just about as short as a burning fuse, and he had no desire to create a magical crater in the centre of their mess hall, especially when Gramps would likely make him pay for it. He turned around to move, the crowd parting before him quickly, and reached the request board in two strides. He snatched up a job, almost on random.

"I'm taking this," he said carelessly, waving the flyer in his hand. "Will be back in two days." He paused, purposely catching Nab's eye as he walked out. " _Someone_ has to do the work, after all."

Nab cringed. Natsu leapt to his feet, looking scandalized.

" _Hey!_ Hang on, what about my training?" he demanded.

"You can rest and take it easy until you'reall healed," he called from the door, not bothering to keep the bite from his voice. "The rest of the guild seems to think that it's the best option."

"WHAT!" Natsu shouted, affronted. "I'm not _resting and taking it easy_! Laxus, bring me with you! OI!"

The door slammed shut.

* * *

 **[2] - Mirajane**

"I distinctly recall," Laxus said, watching impassively as Natsu continued to antagonize the unfortunate Forest Vulcan lying unconscious at their feet, "that I told you to stay back in the guild."

"Do you recall me agreeing?" Natsu grinned back cheekily. He jumped up and down on the Vulcan's belly as though it would add to the creature's misery, the loose end of his bandages flapping in the wind. Laxus stared at him, completely nonplussed.

"You do realize that you will only be a liability on my job," he said, still not terribly pleased.

Natsu blinked at him for a moment, before seemingly coming to a profound realization. "Your job is about studying?"

Laxus looked at the boy. "How do you even come to these conclusions?" he said exasperatedly. "No. It's about defeating a demon."

Natsu's expression cleared. "That's awesome! I'm good at that kind of stuff," he said brightly. "Just not studying. It makes my head hurt." He climbed past the crook of the Vulcan's neck to stand on its head. "I'm going to defeat a demon!" he cried excitedly.

Laxus pursed his lips in annoyance. " _I_ am going to defeat the demon," Laxus informed him shortly. " _You_ are not going to do anything."

The younger boy huffed. "You can't stop me!"

Laxus shot the other a death glare. "Would you like to try that?"

For the first time since he'd known the boy, Natsu actually paused to think, before grimacing. "No."

"Good."

Natsu didn't bring up the demon after that. But it was still evident by the spring in his step and the inflection in his voice that he was clearly excited for some action. Laxus found the boy's enthusiasm both parts admirable and irritating, and so held his silence.

They made camp in the forest at night, where Natsu had eagerly offered to start their campfire. Laxus was mildly pleased at the young Dragon-Slayer's handiness, right up until Natsu's overzealousness nearly set off a natural disaster. Laxus, covered in fluttering ash, eyed the smoking clearing and collapsed tree, before heading off deeper into the woods in search for another suitable spot. After explaining the specific size of an ideal campfire, Natsu was allowed to have a second go, this time with acceptable results. They slow roasted some fish and ate them with dry bread, before washing off their meal with river water.

They reached their destination the following morning.

The town was located near the foot of a ridge of folded mountains. It was small, quiet and idyllic, with little traffic and narrow unpaved roads. A sparse handful of fir trees were dotted around the main square. All of the houses were painted a pretty cream-white, though time had weathered many into a dull faded grey. Still, they painted a pretty picture framed against the greens and blues of the mountains which stretched as far as the eye could see.

"We're going to look for a local bar to stop by first before visiting the mayor," Laxus informed Natsu as they made their way down a road with what looked like a row of shop houses. "I'd rather take what the townspeople say over what a single authoritarian figure says at face value."

"Does that look promising?"

Natsu stopped and pointed at a sign hanging from a battered wooden door depicting a liquor bottle.

They let themselves in, Laxus first followed by Natsu. Soon, they quickly found themselves assaulted by the roar of a sea of voices, all talking loudly over each other, and the smell of delicious food. Laxus stooped low to enter, and Natsu allowed the door to slam shut behind them. Almost immediately, the entire bar fell silent.

Laxus abruptly realized that they could hardly be less conspicuous. In a little town with a numbered population, it was inevitable that even a single unfamiliar face would be quickly noticed. There was also the fact that he towered over every man in the room by at least a head, and Natsu's hair colour was highly uncommon.

"Who are you?" the barkeep, a plump lady with frizzy brown hair barked at him over the counter, though not unkindly.

Laxus turned to face her, even though he was essentially addressing the crowd. Natsu, however, answered for him.

"We're mages from Fairy Tail!" the younger boy declared, jumping up on the nearest table, fists raised to the air. The barkeep stared at him disbelievingly. Laxus decided to take over.

"We just arrived from Magnolia," Laxus spoke up, clear and confident. "I understand that you requested our help to defeat a demon?"

Instantly, the bar bloomed back to life.

"Fairy Tail, you say! Those people can destroy anything at all, aye!"

"Cool! That's so cool!"

"Are they really all that great though? I mean, they're both very young. That pink-haired boy is just a kid! And I hear that Fairy Tail isn't all it claims to be nowadays…"

"Shh, don't say that in front of them for goodness' sake!"

Laxus felt a burn of irritation, though he was quick to smother it. He was here on a mission, not to entertain their jejune opinions of him or his guild. He cleared his throat loudly for attention, and was relieved when it was quickly granted.

"I'm here to gather more information on the creature you claim to have overtaken your church," he said. His gaze roamed across the room, searching for a knowing face while simultaneously eliminating those who were not entirely sober. "Is there anything more you can tell me?"

A couple of them were more than eager to share.

"Aye, and it's not a pretty story," one of the elder men spoke up. "It suddenly materialized one late evening two weeks ago. The bishop himself barely escaped. An ugly, misshapen beast, they called it, which cursed everything it touched."

"My son saw it for himself," another interjected eagerly, abandoning his beer and walking over to join the conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, Laxus noticed Natsu wandering off, a look of open curiousity on his face. "The mayor round up a few men to defeat it the next day, and he was one of the volunteers. He said it was a strange creature no one had ever seen before, with shrivelled scales and purple pustules erupting from its body. Its face was hooded over by the shadows. When they tried to attack, the monster neutralized their team by exhaling some sort of poisonous gas. Three of the men died before they could get away. It's cursed, no doubt about it."

A round of cheers went up from the opposite end of the room. Laxus' eyes flickered over - Natsu was currently entertaining a crowd of onlookers by blowing puffs of fire through his mouth. As if that wasn't enough, the pink-haired Dragon-Slayer promptly climbed up onto the table and proceeded to set all sorts of things he was presented with on fire, much to the adults' applause. Laxus felt a stab of annoyance, but he quickly forced himself to shift his attention back to the men in front of him.

"Has no one seen its real face then?" Laxus asked. "How would you know for certain that it's a demon?"

"No, I can't say we have. But you know what's the strange thing about it?" the third addition to their company said, his wrinkled face solemn. He set down his glass on the table. "It's never seen throughout the day. They went back for the men's bodies the next morning, and nothing happened to the retrieval team. The creature only ever appears at night. And there's a reason why." The man paused for a dramatic effect, his eyes lingering upon each face before resting on Laxus' for the longest time.

"It's because it _is_ one of us. She masquerades as a girl in the day – but at night, when the moon rises… her form will change. And she'll turn into a demon of the devil's own."

The rest exchanged fearful glances. Behind, the adults cheered at the spectacle of Natsu eating fire from their grate. Laxus frowned as he considered this. Their story did not seem altogether improbable, after all few things were where magic was concerned. But at the same time he required concrete facts, and less of speculations.

"Has anyone seen this demon in human form?" he asked finally. It would be more helpful if he knew what exactly he was looking for.

"I do not believe so," the second man replied, though he sounded uncertain. "But I would not dismiss the rumours lightly, young mage. That night when my son and his team were about to leave the church, they heard something. A girl's voice, they said. Moments later the demon appeared. It is no coincidence."

"Is this demon still in the church now?"

"Who knows! It could be wandering around in broad daylight, and we'd be none the wiser. But come twilight, and it will be. There's no doubt about it."

Laxus nodded his thanks and took his leave from the table. Despite the men's grimness, he was not unduly worried. Whatever it was, as long as he managed to pinpoint his target, there was nothing his lightning couldn't incinerate.

* * *

The church was a humble whitewashed building in the centre of the square. Two Tuscan pillars framed a pair of carved wooden doors. Above the doors was a small circular stained glass window. While it did not possess the glamour of many gothic cathedrals in Fiore, it held a quiet, numinous beauty of its own.

Natsu, predictably, held no appreciation for its architecture.

"This place is _boooorring_ ," he declared with a loud yawn.

They were currently sitting on one of the wooden benches in the main hall. The interior of the church was considerably lacklustre, with bare walls framing them from all sides save for a single fresco. An aisle ran through the centre of the hall, dividing the rows of wooden benches into two separate sides. At the end of the aisle lay a mess of splinters, where Laxus suspected the heat of the fight had taken place. The rest of the church remained largely untouched.

"By all means, head back and go be their circus animal," Laxus said snappily.

"Well it _is_ more fun than this pointless waiting around," Natsu retorted. "But I wanna fight the demon."

"I thought we had established that. You are not fighting any demon. _I_ am," Laxus reminded him.

Natsu was aghast. "But I'm already here!" he whined, "Can't you just let me take a hit at it?"

" _After_ it's incapacitated, then you may," Laxus said dismissively. "Before that, stay out of the way."

Natsu got visibly cross at this arrangement. "I didn't come all the way here to _stay out of the way."_

"Oops, shouldn't have come then," Laxus sniped back. "Door's that way." He jerked his thumb at his back, indicating where they had come from.

Natsu glared at him. "What a jerk!" he accused.

"Goodness, I never realized!" Laxus said sarcastically.

Natsu climbed to his feet. "I can't take this anymore!" he declared heatedly. "Laxus, fight me!"

"We're in a _church_ Natsu. Show some respect."

"What respect? We're in a church waiting for a demon to appear so that we can blow it up," Natsu retorted.

" _I._ Not we."

"Why not!"

"It would be most inconvenient."

"How is allowing _me_ to fight inconvenient for _you_?!"

"Oh it will be," Laxus drawled, "especially when I have to lug your dead body back to the guild and convince everyone that I did not murder you on purpose."

Natsu opened his mouth to say something, but right at that moment something flickered at the edge of his senses. A scent tickled at his nose, smelling faintly like herbs and flowers. Natsu had instantly stopped talking; doubtless the boy had picked up on it as well. Cautiously, Laxus released a strand of probe-magic in the vicinity.

Almost immediately something _stung_ him, quick and sharp like a snake's bite. His magic recoiled instinctively from it, shocked. There was something there – magic, certainly, but yet it wasn't. It harboured many similar properties to the dark arts, but its fundamental essence remained distinct. For one there was no familiar scent of ethernano particles; it seemed to possess a foreign property altogether.

Curse magic.

In a flash of lightning Laxus disappeared from his seat, leaving Natsu to give a howl of indignance, before materializing behind the source of foreign magic. He found himself standing in a cloister, with the only source of light coming from the lightning sparking around his fist. The rest of the room was cloaked in opulent darkness. But his instincts hadn't been wrong – there was something there, lurking in the shadows. Laxus took a step forwards.

"You can come out now, demon. I know you're there."

All the warning he got was an arc of dark blue light in his periphery; he swerved at the last second, and the curse soared right through where he had been standing and hit something with a loud _crash._ This was followed by the sound of breaking china and ringing metal. Whatever the curse was, its damage was nothing to be scorned at.

Wordlessly he summoned his lightning and fired a thunderbolt into the shadows. He caught a glimpse of a hood and a hand struck out from the folds of black cloth the moment before the light winked out. It was dark and shrivelled, and covered with ugly pustules of dark purple, just as the man from the bar had warned. He shot another bolt of energy, but it slinked into the darkness and disappeared from sight.

"I am not here to play games!" Laxus snarled. He cast four bolts of lightning spheres into the air. A single line of electricity shot out of the first to the fuse with the next, until there was a glowing circle hovering in the air. The moment all of them were connected, the room was abruptly flooded with light.

Standing across the room facing him was a girl. She had a hood up, but beneath that Laxus could make out snowy-white hair and a pair of brilliant blue eyes. The girl raised her cursed hand, and another wave of powerful energy lashed out at him at her thrust, but this time Laxus neutralized her power with his own and stood his ground.

"It's no use," he told her. "I'm a trained mage."

For a moment the girl tensed, as if she was going to run, but then Natsu abruptly burst into the room, his fists ablaze.

"Fight me, demon!" he yelled. His eyes darted back and forth between Laxus and the girl, then he stopped. He looked at the girl. "Why are you dressed up as a demon?" he asked curiously.

The girl gave a sharp intake of breath, before she suddenly ripped back her hood with another hand. It was white and normal. Laxus soon found himself meeting a pair of furious blue eyes glaring daggers at them both.

"I am _not!"_ she said sharply. Then, abruptly, her eyes filled, and the next thing Laxus knew she had broken down into a flood of tears.

"Oh god Natsu, what have you done," Laxus groaned.

" _Me?"_ Natsu said, terribly affronted. "Why are you blaming me!"

The girl sniffled, wiping tears on her sleeves. "I am not _pretending,"_ she bit out, angrily, "I _became_ the demon. I came here to defeat it by myself last night, but when I did it started to dissolve _into_ me, and then I became the demon myself. I am the demon now. I can't go back anymore."

She dissolved into a fresh flood of tears. Laxus stared at her and simply hovered uncomfortably. Comforting little girls had never been his stronger suits. Defeating demons were more of his forte. Then he thought of how he'd initially hoped that this mission would be simple and straightforward, and he felt a new stab of annoyance.

Still, he was the leader here. He ought to take charge.

"Look, girl, you are clearly not a demon," Laxus began by pointing out, hoping that it would calm her down. It only had the opposite effect.

"Are you a _moron!"_ she all but shrieked, and she thrusted her shrivelled arm in his face. "Look at this! Look at this and tell me I'm not a demon!"

Laxus nearly cringed at her explosive reaction, but he froze his expression into one of hubris which was his norm and stepped back. To his profound astonishment however, Natsu displayed a more adept hand in the matter. He approached her slowly, and sat cross-legged in front of her, where she had collapsed to the ground crying. At this, she looked up, and Natsu gave her a toothy grin.

"You're not a demon," Natsu told her comfortingly. "I know it, cuz' I'm a Dragon-Slayer." He tapped his nose with a finger. "I can tell by your scent."

The girl paused in her sniffling and looked down at her hand in a mixture of hope and fear. Natsu offered her a smile. For a moment Laxus was met with incredulous wonder at Natsu's capability at acting like a normal, _empathizing_ human being, but then the younger boy immediately ruined the moment by his next comment.

"By the way that arm of yours is _just so cool._ Can I touch it? Can I shake your hand?"

The girl looked terribly insulted. "It's not _cool,"_ she said, hurt and angry at the same time. "Because of this I am hunted by the people of my home. Or I will be. They will never allow me back into the town like this. _I_ wouldn't allow me back either, what if I were possessed overnight? I'm a danger here to everyone." She wrung her hands, before freezing at the sight of her cursed appendage and stowing it back under the cloak, a look of disgust on her face.

Laxus cleared his throat. "So the real demon is gone? You defeated it?"

The girl nodded stiffly. Laxus exhaled loudly in irritation.

"Great. This is already the second unpaid job I've taken on this week!" he grumbled. Here the girl shot him a look of purest disdain.

" _That's_ what you're concerned about?"

"Well it _is_ the reason I'm here," Laxus retorted. He turned around. "Come on Natsu. We're leaving."

"Wait! You can't just - what are you going to tell them?" the girl called after him, sharp panic in her voice. Laxus didn't blink.

"That you defeated the demon already, and my help was unneeded," Laxus replied.

The girl paled. "No, you can't! They won't believe me. They'll think – no, they will _know_ that I'm the demon now. Can't you just say you defeated it?"

"I can hardly claim a reward I did not earn," Laxus retorted with a frown. "Besides, they might be able to help you change back. Who knows."

Natsu turned to look at Laxus. "Hang on, even _you_ can't make the – thing – go away?" he asked, gesticulating at her arm. He seemed to be surprised to be confronted with something even Laxus could not manage.

"Well of course, if it involves me incinerating her arm," Laxus said with such neutrality that the sarcasm went off Natsu's head. The girl didn't flinch.

"But what if they can't? What if I change into a demon and attack everyone?" she asked. Her voice had gone quiet.

Laxus hesitated. While what Natsu had said was true – the girl was not a demon, not yet at any rate – her fears were hardly unfounded. It was evident that _some_ part of the demon had entered and mingled with her core, and the magic she had wielded had a different quality to it. For now, she was still in control – but it was tenuous at best. What would happen if she were to be thrown under duress? Would the curse magic warp free instinctually, setting free the demon lying dormant within her?

"You could come back to Fairy Tail with us," Natsu offered suddenly. He flashed her a wide grin. "Gramps is really good at magic. He probably knows how to solve your problem."

Laxus shot Natsu a look, which the boy ignored. Or perhaps he was simply too obtuse to notice.

"Now that's hardly – " Laxus began, but before he could finish his sentence, the girl's face had lit up, as if all her worries had been dispelled. It instantly made her look younger. Pretty, even.

"Thank you, Natsu," she said, with a rush of relief. "My name is Mira, Mirajane." She chanced a look at Laxus, almost hesitant, and offered him a dazzling smile. "You boys won't mind me coming with, will you?"

Laxus didn't blink. "Perhaps we should – " he began again, forcefully, but he was once again cut off mid-sentence. And this time, there was sudden, chilling steel in her voice.

"I _said, you boys_ _won't mind me coming with, will you?"_ Mirajane questioned, dangerously. The temperature could have plunged a few degrees. She turned to meet Laxus' raised eyebrow evenly, her dazzling smile still in place. Natsu looked up, alarmed at this abrupt change, looking almost as if he was beginning to regret his offer.

For a length of time, Laxus simply stared back at her impassively. Somehow he had the distinct feeling that the girl was hiding more than she let on. But at the moment, turning her in or loose were unacceptable options, and loathe as he was to admit it, bringing her back to their guild was the most plausible solution he could think of.

"Very well," he conceded at last, and Natsu released an audible breath. "You may come with us."

Mirajane smiled, though Laxus noticed that it did not reach her eyes.

"Perfect. Lead the way, then."

She turned and headed for the door, going on ahead of them. Natsu and Laxus exchanged glances.

"I think she might be just as scary as Erza," Natsu said in a small voice.

 _If not more,_ Laxus thought to himself. Aloud, he heaved an irritable sigh. "Look what you've done," he said accusingly.

* * *

…

 _A/N: So. How did it go? I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I figured I should just write it when I have the time. I've written countless versions of their first meeting, but ended up settling with this._

 _For those who are wondering, as far as I'm concerned, Mirajane in her youth had always been more emotional and hot-tempered; but she also has the scary 'inner demon' which only reveals itself when pressed, hence this portrayal of her. Laxus on the other hand is treading the fine line between his uncaring jerk future self and the latter. Major plot begins in the next chapter, I would say._

 _Do tell me what you think! Merry Christmas, and leave me a present will you? :p_


	3. Chapter 3

**Their Master's Son**

I'm back to indulging in my favourite guilty pleasure during exam periods. Thrash-writing. Million thanks to my sweet reviewers: _Awareness Bringer, SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, lainehalsey, Crosheo, WhiteShaq01_ and _Darkslayer7799,_ I know my replies were very late, and for that I apologize, but I reread your comments multiple times a day. I was positively giddy with excitement! So thank you very, very much!

For those wondering, this is going to be a Gen fic - at least for now. One thing I genuinely loved about Fairy Tail was that the heart of the main theme was friendship, not romance. I'm not against any pairings, it's just that to me it's secondary, if not peripheral. Add on the fact that I've barely managed to find Gen fics in the fandom, so I'm gladly adding mine as a contribution.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Despite her expressed desire to come to Fairy Tail, Mirajane made no attempt to ingratiate herself with the guild members. For the next week or so since her arrival, she lounged around aimlessly in the mess hall, a blank but sad expression on her features. More often than not, she would disappear off on her own.

Initially some members tried to approach her, some going as far as to attempt to drag her outside for a bit of 'fresh air' to make her feel better, but their efforts were quickly rebuffed with either blatant dismissal or uncalled viciousness. They never tried again. Very soon, the initial charm of a new addition faded, her quietness was perceived as arrogance; and Mirajane rapidly became an unwanted outcast. She met no outward confrontations, but whispers travelled every time her back was turned. It did not aid matters that she had outright refused the guild mark, for personal reasons she would not name.

The only person who seemed particularly bothered about this series of events was Erza. Gray and Natsu had both tried to get Mirajane involved in a conversation on multiple accounts, most of which ended with painful results. Levy, the small blue-haired girl, remained permanently traumatized by their last encounter. The rest of members were content on ignoring her completely or indulging in unkindly speculations and gossip.

Laxus himself simply couldn't care less.

He resumed his usual routine on his training grounds. He trained Natsu in his spare time (rather intensively, for a part of him was greedy for the results; but while Natsu whined at repetition, his complaints were always quailed by a single glare.) He took on jobs with fevour, acutely aware of the steep decline their guild was heading into. Sometimes he brought Natsu along.

He steered clear of the guild hall altogether.

It was perhaps inevitable, that the one day he was forced to stop by the guild – Natsu had, inadvertently fallen off his perch under the waterfall after being distracted by a _toad,_ of all things, and possibly required some stitches – Laxus found himself cornered by Erza to ' _discuss_ matters regarding recent events'.

Already the opening did not presage a pleasant conversation. Their last exchange had not been particularly civil either. Nevertheless, Laxus deposited Natsu in the infirmary, took his time washing off the blood from his hands, before allowing himself to be led by the irate young redheaded girl into the guild backyard.

The backyard was poorly kempt. Grass sprouted in uneven patches, withered and pale green in colour. The rest of the ground peeked out like bald patches, ugly and cracked. It reminded him of Gramps' unevenly shaved head. In the far corner a huge pine tree towered, a bed of dead leaves blanketing its roots. They varied from dark yellow to black. Even the soot-coloured walls bore the incontrovertible evidence of numerous scuffles being resolved.

They reached the tree, an adequate distance from any potential eavesdroppers lurking at the backdoor, before Erza rounded on him, a familiar glint in her eye.

"Laxus," she began in her usual self-imposing manner, and Laxus didn't bother to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"If this is about my training methods, I don't particularly care to hear your opinion about the matter," he informed her shortly.

Erza's lips thinned. "It isn't," she began, at length, though her tone belied her irritation about it all the same. "There is something else I wish to discuss with you about Natsu, but that is beside the point. About Mira – "

"What about Natsu?" Laxus said, cutting her off purposely.

Erza looked profoundly annoyed, but she relented all the same. It seemed as though she was making a great effort not to get into an argument, though Laxus was less keen to uphold the unspoken truce. "Natsu doesn't know how to read properly. Or write. It's probably because a dragon raised him. I've been trying to get him to learn – "

Laxus arched a single brow. "Dragons are highly intelligent creatures," he interjected.

"That's not what I'm saying," Erza shot back irritably. "I know that. But dragons have different priorities from humans. They would hardly prioritize human language when educating their kin."

"I wouldn't, either," Laxus said offhandedly. He could almost sense Erza's kindling temper, and he gained a little pleasure from it.

"The _point_ is," Erza said through gritted teeth, "Natsu needs his education. I've been trying to get him to learn, but he refuses to. And most of the time, he spends his time running after you."

"So it _is_ about Natsu's training regime."

"Not exactly. I am asking _you_ to teach him. He listens well to you, at any rate."

Laxus was momentarily floored. This was not what he was expecting.

"You want _me_ to teach him the… alphabet," he clarified.

"Not the alphabet, Natsu knows as much. But words, and writing, and reading. Yes."

She had the steely look in her eyes, arms folded tightly across her chest as she raised her head to match his gaze. The challenge was unspoken but palpable. She would not yield until he agreed. Laxus was not terribly concerned. He had never lost in a battle of wills. He straightened and mimicked her posture.

"You might want to quit glaring up at me like that," he drawled. "Your neck must hurt."

Erza was undeterred. "Do you agree to teach him or not?"

Laxus rolled his eyes. "I would have thought that much is obvious," he said, sounding thoroughly bored. " _No._ Was there something else you wanted to discuss, or can I leave?"

The steely unaffected façade cracked. "Natsu needs to know the basics of the language! You cannot expect him to – "

"I presume you had wanted to talk to me about Mirajane," Laxus steamrolled over her, as if she had not spoken. "You probably want to ask how we met, or why did Gramps allow her to stay despite not bearing the mark, or what was that meeting with Gramps about. It's fairly simple – none of your business."

"I was not going to ask anything of that sort," Erza seethed. There was an angry pout on her face. "Master requested we respect her privacy, and so I shall. But surely you ought to be doing your best to help her? _You_ brought her back to our guild, but ever since then you've left her all alone in the guild hall, lost, depressed and without any company!"

Laxus snorted. "You can hardly fault me for the last bit. I think even Natsu still has nightmares."

"Will you not take the growth of your guild members seriously?" Erza snapped. "You are our Master's heir. You ought to be – "

She faltered. At one point of time, the backdoor had been thrown open, and the backyard was filled with eager young faces in anticipation of a fight. Perhaps their voices had not been as low as they thought. Annoyed at the attention, Laxus abruptly spun on his heel to leave, but Erza's reflexes were quicker. In a flash she materialized before him, full-clad in armour, a single hand held up to prevent him from leaving. It was a pathetic attempt, in front of the whole of the guild, nevertheless. A dark sort of amusement seized Laxus.

"Fine. I'll cut you a deal," he said spontaneously. He spun around to face her. "If you manage to defeat me in the next twenty minutes, I'll do whatever you ask. In the likely scenario of my victory however, you will not bother me again. Are we in agreement?"

He was addressing Erza, but his voice carried over to reach the crowd. The younger ones were ecstatic. Someone yelled though the backdoor, "It's Laxus vs. Erza!", and within seconds, there was thundering of feet, and people were pooling out into the backyard to watch them. Laxus sent Erza a shark-like smile. There was no way for her to back out of it, and they both knew it.

"Very well," she said at last, and in a single fluid moment she drew her sword. It winked under the light of the afternoon sun. "Then I will not lose."

She charged.

* * *

It ended just as well as one would hope: both mages sat across a grim Makarov, with numerous cuts and bruises littering their skin. Laxus in particular was bleeding from numerous scratches, while Erza's long red hair was singed at its ends.

Makarov eyed both of them severely. "Under normal circumstances I wouldn't be surprised," he began in a calm tone. He climbed up the table and whipped out his cane at them accusingly. "But under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be a missing wall, _and_ a crater in the middle of the backyard!" he shouted, spittle flying from his mouth. "What were you _thinking!"_

Erza flinched.

"I apologize, Master," she said formally, her head bowed in contrition. "It will never happen again."

Laxus rolled his eyes. Makarov appeared not to notice.

"Of all times!" Makarov ranted in despair. "I have enough on my plate with repair costs charged by the Council flooding in at the same rate jobs are being accomplished, if not worse! And now we're missing a wall. Forget the crater, we still need to reconstruct a whole _wall!_ "

"In that case, I don't see why only the both of us should be subjected to your lecture," Laxus said, arms folded. "Especially when we are the ones generating most of Fairy Tail's income. Perhaps you should take your concerns to the rest of your… ah, _family_."

The atmosphere changed instantly. Makarov's face darkened rapidly to be replaced with real anger. Erza tensed.

"Laxus, not this again," Erza said warningly, but already it was too late.

" _What_ did you say?" Makarov questioned dangerously.

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Laxus replied with tenuous calm, his eyes never straying from the other's face. "Take a look at the job ledger. That's the problem that has been staring at you in the face for the past few _months._ Not a missing wall."

Makarov's face went red. "And who gave you the permission to read that ledger?"

Laxus got to his feet and glared down hard at the elder wizard, teeth bared. "I don't even need to, because it's painfully _obvious,"_ he said acidly. "Did you know that more than half of the people here have barely used a single drop of magic ever since they stepped under this roof? They eat, they drink, they play, they gossip. Only a measly handful of mages are left struggling to maintain the fallacy of Fairy Tails' _strength,_ all the while you, Makarov, harbour a hundred or so worthless parasites as your so-called family-!"

The force of Makarov's backhand caught Laxus on his cheek, and it promptly sent him stumbling back to crash to the floor, the chair pinned painfully beneath him. Laxus glared up at him coldly. A coppery taste filled his mouth, and his cheek stung.

Beside him, Erza had risen to her feet to stand between them, though neither moved to acknowledge her presence.

"Why, did I hit a nerve?" Laxus taunted from his position on the floor. "Am I tarnishing your _honor,_ as their Master?"

Makarov's face was hard and grave, as though it were carved from stone. "You speak a lot like Ivan nowadays, Laxus."

"Because only the both of us can see sense," Laxus retorted.

"No, not sense," Makarov said, and he glared down at his grandson, his mouth twisted into a grimace as if he was speaking of something ugly and wretched. "Ambition. Greed."

Makarov spun away, the long shadow of his unconsciously enlarged form passing over Laxus, until all that was seen was once more a small, deceivingly humble silhouette. Erza hovered uncertainly in the background, at a loss for once. When Makarov spoke again, his tone was one of finality.

"It matters not to me. Whether Fairy Tail is the number one guild in Fiore, or it isn't. Such things are ephemeral. They will pass. But the bond of a family holds strong. We support each other in weakness, in strength, in violence, in peace. And Fairy Tail is our family."

There was a brief lapse of silence. Laxus climbed to his feet, brushing shrapnel off his skin.

"Pity," he said, voice pitched low but enough to carry to the rest of the room, "because it isn't mine."

He left, the door slamming loudly behind him.

* * *

Word spread quickly of Laxus and Erza's legendary duel, and the major argument that followed. No one except Erza knew exactly what had transpired in Makarov's office, but many could wager a guess. After all, Laxus had stormed out bleeding from his face, and Erza had emerged heaving splinters of a broken chair. Their Master was nowhere to be seen.

Wary of his slender hold over his temper, and any potential interactions which might antagonize it, Laxus avoided the guild hall as best as he could, opting to have dinner at a local eatery instead. His relative solitude lasted until late evening. When he was taking a detour back to his rooms, Ivan managed to track him down.

"I hear you're training the young ones," the elder wizard began conversationally. "The fire Dragon-Slayer, was it?"

Laxus shrugged. "It's not a great imposition to me," he said. "I won't be leaving for a few days yet."

"So soon after returning?"

Laxus gave him a sideway glance. "You know I never like to stay for long."

"I don't blame you," Ivan said. He spread out his arms. "We are constantly surrounded by sluggards and pushovers. It's either foolish adults or useless children. They should just be dumped in an orphanage. One can only hope that their weaknesses are not contagious. I would turn them out or leave by myself before that."

A small twist of anger flared at Ivan's words. It took him a moment to parse his response – that he'd reacted to it as a personal affront. He forced himself to swallow back the nascent defensiveness. "Some of them are not entirely useless as you claim," he said instead, neutrally. "The younger ones, at any rate. To a certain extent, they are resilient, and eager to learn."

Ivan snorted. "Is that why that boy nearly drowned in the waterfall?"

Natsu withstood the pressure admirably for his age, Laxus wanted to say, but he didn't. He waved a hand dismissively. "He will get there eventually."

"And in the meantime? You have better things to do than looking after weaklings, Laxus."

They had reached the end of a cul-de-sac. Beyond ran a river which zigzagged through the heart of Magnolia like an ethereal silver ribbon. Ivan turned around fully to face him, and Laxus instantly knew what was coming.

"It is time your skills be put to the test, Laxus," Ivan said, a half-smile flickering on his lips. "Come, boy. Fight me."

The stone walls on each side seemed to bear down on them. There was hardly any space to dodge.

"Gramps isn't going to be pleased if we cause more property damage," Laxus warned, but even when he said that, he knew it would be futile. Ivan was different from Makarov in many ways; he had a cunning edge to him, more ambition. Makarov called it greed. But one thing all the Dreyars had in common: they could never resist a challenge.

The first spell came from Ivan. He incanted no conjuration, but a dense purple fog began to gather around Laxus. When it cleared, five illusions of Ivan had circled Laxus, their hands outstretched.

" **Shikigami Dark Bomb!"**

For a moment the world held its breath, then a violent torrent of shikigami unfurled out of the air, as if they had been raging to break free. They streaked through the air with a hideous cry to condense into a rapidly expanding ball of massive energy. A cold thrill crackled up his spine. It was undoubtedly, dark magic.

There was little time to think. Laxus called on his lightning magic, which responded to him easily. It flared to life in form of a golden iridescent barrier, pulsing with energy, prepared to defend its caster.

A few seconds later, the world exploded.

The sheer force of Ivan's power ripped savagely into his magical defences, causing the air to ripple with energy. Laxus gritted his teeth and tugged harder at his store of power until it blazed around him like a golden inferno. Still, for what seemed like ages Ivan's magic continued to smash against his shield, each strike with the force of a hammer blow. When the conjuration finally began to fade, Laxus dropped his shield and stepped aside as their magic dissipated with a quiet _whump_. Sweat dripped down his brow to pool on the collar of his shirt.

Ivan looked positively delighted.

"More!" he called to Laxus, and there was a strange grin on his face Laxus had never seen before. It made him look almost manic. "I said more, boy! More, more, more!"

A mixture of unease and anger threaded through him. Laxus narrowed his eyes briefly, before discarding the strange suspicion in the back of his mind. He threw back his head, carelessly gathering up the stores of his magic.

" **Lightning Dragon's Roar!"**

Lightning rent through the air, a brutal torrent of raw power. It tore through Ivan's multitude of illusions, ripping apart the fabric of their existence with ease. It finally turned upon his real opponent, Ivan, who was hastily throwing up a mass of dark power as a means to neutralize the attack. Laxus could tell that it wouldn't be enough. It reared back, gathering its energy for one last time before lashing downwards, at the same time Ivan shouted, "Alright, alright! I yield!"

The lightning hovered, flickering, before abruptly winking out of existence. Laxus stood across Ivan, heart thumping heavily against his ribcage. The vestiges of his power still crackled across his skin.

Ivan picked himself off the floor, dusting his robes distractedly in the process. He seemed to be beside himself.

"You have grown much stronger than I remember! Your power has doubled, no, tripled!"

"Father – " Laxus began, his tone serious, but he broke off. Ivan had crossed the distance between them and clasped his fingers around Laxus' shoulders. Laxus suddenly realized that they were, _finally,_ at the same height. He couldn't remember the last time his father had first initiated any sort of contact with him before.

"This is excellent, simply excellent. It was not in vain after all – "

Laxus shifted, uncomfortable. "Father, I – " he began, but Ivan wasn't listening.

"I see now your training all this while has done tremendous good. Yes, you have done an excellent job. You have exceeded my expectations! Well done!"

Suddenly, abruptly, the words fled his mind. He stood, stunned into silence. Ivan clapped him hard on the back and laughed, his face clammy with sweat.

"I'll see you around, then. I have something to see to immediately. But this, this is simply _excellent_. Keep it up!"

He left. For a long, long time, Laxus held himself, carefully, still.

Just for that moment, even if he had ever only been acknowledged as 'Makarov's grandson', he thought, it could be worth it still.

* * *

The next morning dawned with the sight of a strangely empty and quiet forest.

Initially Laxus was not in the least concerned. He proceeded with his own training regime and meditated for the remaining time while he waited for Natsu to show up. But when an hour rolled around and the boisterous Dragon-Slayer showed no sign of appearing, Laxus became mildly perturbed.

He dithered for a moment, wondering if he ought to visit the guild himself, and the possible confrontations he might be faced with, before abruptly discarding his needless reticence. He had no reason to avoid _them;_ if anything, _they_ ought to steer clear of his path. Especially when he was in a towering mood.

He made it to the infirmary with that thought in mind, and with minimal incident. When he finally arrived however, all the beds were surprisingly empty. Uncertain, he slowly retraced his steps back to the guild hall. Natsu wasn't there either.

Despite the early hour, already there were a few occupied tables at the bar. Laxus approached one of them at random.

"Has anyone seen Natsu?" he asked.

He managed to keep his disdain for them from his voice completely. A few of them looked over at his question; half of them shook their head drunkenly and turned back to their drinks; a few collapsed onto the table with audible snores. Laxus felt a prickle of annoyance.

"Oi," he snapped, and he rapped a knuckle hard against their table. "If you've been here since last night, which I suspect you have, you must have seen him come through this way."

"Isn't he still in the infirmary?" one yawned, completely unconcerned.

"Yea, after you nearly killed him a second time," another muttered. The man then proceeded to slug another mouthful of alcohol – most of it simply went down his front. Laxus' jaw clenched.

"I didn't – " he began, but at that moment a man with dirty blonde hair from the next table looked up. "I saw him last night. I was talking to them boys – " he indicated the three figures snoring face-down on the table beside him, "-when Natsu came over. Was interested in what I had to say."

Laxus grimaced. " _Natsu_ was interested in what you had to say," he repeated, disbelieving.

"Hey, don't give me that look!" the man said sulkily. "I had an interesting story to tell. I was in Moon's Charm the other day, and I met a couple of travelers who came from far abroad. They'd seen all sorts of magics and creatures, likes we've never heard before. Once there was this – "

A sudden thought struck Laxus. "Don't tell me. You mentioned a dragon to Natsu didn't you."

The man paused. "Not a _dragon,_ not necessarily. I mean, some say it's a fire dragon, but mostly the rumours are that it's a demon, not a dragon. The village people there worship it. Calls it the 'Eternal Flame'. Now why would a dragon live in a village full of humans? No, it's a demon I tell you, and not just any demon… it's a demon by _Zeref._ Do you hear me? Every last Treasure Hunter who went looking for it believing that the village was protecting some precious treasure perished. That's what the travelers told me." The man looked around and sighed. "But do these idiots understand the importance of it? No. At the climax of my story, they have the galls to fall _asleep._ Pah! I'm not telling these three anything ever again, not ever – "

Laxus felt unease trickle down his spine. Rumours of sightings of Zeref's demons were not too common, but they were often accurate. Their scale of destruction in comparison with any other ordinary creature left little room for misidentification.

"So you have effectively just sent Natsu haring off alone after what could be a demon of Zeref's," Laxus said with forced calm. His heart thudded uncomfortably in his chest. How long had it been? When had Natsu left?

"Now, how would I know he'd be stupid enough to go after it!" the man complained loudly. He belched and let out a disgusting burp. "Well, I mean, it's a _demon_ innit, I thought he was just interested in hearing about the fire demon – "

"He's been looking desperately for his father, a fire dragon, all the time he was here, of course he would have!" Laxus snapped suddenly. The air around them crackled warningly with electricity. The man flinched. Laxus wasted no time; he crossed the little distance between them and grabbed him up by the collar such that the man's feet barely dangled above the floor.

"Where is it?"

"Wha – are you frickin' mad, put me down, how would I know – "

"You must have given him a location, a direction or something, otherwise he wouldn't know where to look," Laxus deadpanned. "And before you tell me you _don't remember,_ consider your position and think carefully before you speak."

"It's in a bloody desert!" the man sputtered, his breath reeking of smoke and alcohol. "A tall rocky mountain somewhere north in the desert in Fiore, that's what they told me. Nobody even knows its exact location. Natsu couldn't find it even if he tried!"

Laxus dropped him in a heartbeat. The man crumpled to the floor with a swear and a painful groan. When Laxus looked up, he happened to catch the eye of Mirajane, who had been watching them quietly from the corner of the room, her black cloak wrapped protectively around her. He strode towards the door and paused, his hand on the knob.

"You can come along, if you like," he said, seemingly to no one in particular.

Mirajane was silent for a moment. "Why?"

Laxus turned to face her, a shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. "Isn't it just the thing you need?" he said. "A demon."

* * *

 **[3] – The Eternal Flame**

"Mirajane, put the kettle on. Gray, ice."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Why do you want to melt my ice! Just have it as it is!"

Laxus glanced back at their motley gang and felt heavy sense of dread coupled with annoyance. Mirajane he had invited. The other two he definitely did not. Objectively speaking, Gray was a useful addition for this particular venture, for it would mean they would not need to worry about water supply during their journey through the desert. But Erza, on the other hand…

"It wasn't an _order,_ I was asking nicely," the red-headed girl said, affronted.

"Is that how you _ask_ for something?" Mirajane retorted snippily.

"Honestly, is even putting on the kettle a difficult task? It's not like you have been doing anything so far on this trip!" Erza snapped. And then, " _Gray. Ice._ "

The younger boy cringed at her tone and leapt to the task at once. Mirajane and Erza continued to glare at each other. Laxus abruptly felt as though he were a guardian tasked with babysitting a bunch of children. Three days into their journey, and already they were rising at each other's throats. He was not looking forwards to what happened next.

They had learnt from a trip to Moon's Charm that Natsu had indeed turned up there in the middle of the night, demanding to see the travelers who had told the story, only to find that they had left. Instead, a bunch of treasure hunters had overheard his conversation with the barkeep, and had agreed to bring him along on their quest for the Eternal Flame. They had departed almost immediately.

With that information, Laxus and his crew had immediately set forth for Sakaar, the only village bordering the Great Desert who welcomed travelers, for it was the obvious choice to replenish one's stores before venturing into the desert. There they soon discovered that Natsu had been there just the night before, but had left quickly without even staying the night for the treasure hunters seemed to be in a great hurry.

But from then on, the trail had went cold as the nights in the desert. The strong winds and shifting sands had quickly covered up Natsu's scent as well as the treasure hunters' sand-mobile tracks. All they could do was steer continuously towards the north, straining their eyes into the horizon for the sign of rocky mountain or even better, Natsu's sand-mobile. But a full day of driving a magic-powered vehicle had only drained Laxus out, and the end of it they had come no closer to finding either.

"If it's so easy _you_ can do it yourself!" Mirajane snapped back. She held out a hand to Gray. "Gray, ice please."

Gray, who was in the middle of making blocks of ice to drop into Erza's kettle, froze and chanced a look at Erza. Mirajane's eyes hardened at his hesitation. "I said, _ice please._ "

Gray cringed and hurriedly conjured a few more, which he emptied into Mirajane's hand. Mirajane gave him a falsely saccharine smile. "How sweet of you. Thank you, Gray." Her tone tread the fine line between neutrality and threatening. She popped one into her mouth and began to crunch on it slowly, all the while watching Gray.

"Y-You're w-welcome," he managed while cringing, before turning back to continue dropping ice cubes into the kettle, a look of despair on his face.

Beside him, Erza grew steadily agitated as she struggled to kindle a flame. For a moment Laxus considered leaving them to their misery; he was exhausted from his continuous use of magic, irritable at their bickering, and his fur cloak shielded him from most of the cold anyway. But then he got up and walked over to their group, and snapped his fingers. A silent _crack,_ sparks caught the kindling, and in a flash a warm fire blazed to life, almost singeing Erza's bangs in the process.

The rest exchanged glances for a while, before Erza cleared her throat. "Thank you, Laxus."

"For goodness' sake stop squabbling like a bunch of toddlers," Laxus said snappily. "You're giving me a headache."

He retreated to his own tent, wrenched open the tent flap and lay there by himself in the silence. Distantly, he could make out the low murmur of voices from their camp starting up again, but the rest of the night remained deadly quiet and still. Even the desert winds which had buffeted them for a large part of the journey had left them alone.

Some time later, a shadow fell across his tent, and the faint scent of food and flowers reached his nostrils. Mirajane entered holding a pot containing an unidentifiable sort of meat Laxus guessed to be flying desert fish, sprinkled with what were undoubtedly fat-bodied locust crisps.

"You're not going to be driving us anywhere tomorrow if you don't eat enough," Mirajane said by way of explanation.

Laxus thought back to the unappetizing stew Erza had conjured for lunch, and instantly felt nauseated. "If that's what I think it is, I think I'll pass," he replied.

"Erza couldn't make this if she tried. _I_ did," she said. She lowered the meal onto the floor and sat cross-legged across him. "It's actually good. You'll be surprised."

Granted, the stew did not smell as foul as the one in the afternoon. Laxus propped himself upright and took a bite.

"I wouldn't call this good, but it is a definite improvement," he conceded. Mirajane's lips quirked a little, a shadow of a smile.

They sat there in companionable silence for a while, before she spoke again.

"And yet most of the guild thinks you are a selfish arrogant jerk with no thought of anyone but himself," she began. "Is Natsu the only exception? Or are there others no one knows about?"

When he didn't reply, Mirajane heaved a small sigh. "Natsu will be fine," she told him. "He'll come back safe and sound."

Laxus gave no acknowledgement to her statement. Instead he asked a complete non sequitur, "Why are you always wrapped in that hideous cloak?"

Something flashed across her features, not quite anger nor annoyance, and Mirajane tensed. Then she broke off into a hollow laugh, her grip on her cloak not loosening.

"How can I not, being what I am? Already I am forced to leave my home because of it. I do not intend to face the world's judgement on top of everything."

"And what are you, exactly?" Laxus said. His tone was neutral but his words left a challenge to them.

"I – " she began, then her breath caught and she swallowed back her words. "I don't know," she said finally.

Laxus looked away and cast his eyes into the darkness. "If you think it's a scar to be ashamed of, that's what everyone else will think," he told her. "You'll forever be a 'demon', not because you actually are, but because that's what you call yourself. But if you decide otherwise, other people will change the way they think of you, too."

"Is that why you're bringing me out to face a demon?"

"In every literal sense of word."

She simply looked at him, before abruptly bursting into a small laugh, much to his surprise. "Imagine Gray's expression when he finds out. Oh, he'll be even more terrified of me."

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "You just enjoy terrorizing him, don't you?"

"Not on purpose, most of the time," she said airily. "But sometimes, Gray's expression – it's just so funny. It reminds me of Elfmann."

Laxus raised his eyes to meet hers. "Your younger brother, I presume," he said.

Her laughter faded, and her gaze skirted away instantly. She glanced down at her hands, one white and normal, the other hidden protectively beneath a black cloak. "Yes. I have two siblings. The youngest is a sister."

The moment was over as quickly as it had come. A heavy sadness came back to the surface, swiftly followed by the cold, scathing persona which was a norm. Laxus decided to leave it at that. Abruptly, Mirajane climbed to her feet, a hand clasped over her cloak.

"Don't expect this to be a regular occurrence. Tomorrow you'll be having Erza's locust stew again, and if you ever dare suggest I take over cooking duty, I'll personally ensure that you'll be swallowing live locusts for the rest of the journey."

She turned to head towards the exit.

"And I'll personally ensure that you'll freeze over each night without a fire," Laxus called back, unperturbed. "Gray is largely immune to cold, and I couldn't care less about Erza anyway."

"I would gladly freeze over just to see you swallow live locusts," Mirajane paused to retort at the threshold, though her words were clearly without heat. "Goodnight."

She turned and exited his tent, the flap falling to close behind her.

* * *

 _A/N: Yes, chapter 3 is up. Sorry it was so late. I was caught up with a number of things, writer's block being one of them._

 _Couple of things to note:  
1\. Chapter 4 onwards may/may not contain major spoilers for the anime Season 3, so readers be warned. Keywords: Silver, Gray, END, Zeref. _

_2\. As for Laxus' actual 'team', it's not set in stone yet, I'll see how it goes. Though I already have a couple of characters in mind. No, it's not derived from the character list you see in the story description - it's just so limited that I don't have enough space to include all the characters I'm writing about, so I picked a random few._

 _Thanks for reading, please review if you enjoyed it, if you have any particular preference, if you just want to drop me a thought. It would be greatly appreciated! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Their Master's Son**

First off, million thanks to my sweet, sweet reviewers! Here's an extra-long Chapter 4 written and dedicated to these amazing people: _Minipa, Corn Muffins, Phantom, AACM25, WhiteShaq01, GoddessxNyte2 and SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta._ I must say I reread your reviews multiple times while grinning like a mad person in class. :D Thank you so much!

Some were confused about the timeline of the story, so here's the canon summary of it:

777 – Natsu ( **11+X** ), Mystogan ( **12** ) join FT.  
778 – Mirajane (13), Elfmann (12), Lisanna join FT. Laxus becomes S-Class Mage (17).  
780 – Erza becomes S-Class Mage (15).  
781 – Mirajane becomes S-Class Mage (16). Loki is trapped on Earth.  
782 – Mystogan becomes S-Class Mage (17). Lisanna 'dies'.  
784 – Lucy (17) joins FT.

Age assumptions are highlighted in bold. The story currently stands in the autumn of year 777X; therefore, Mystogan is (yet) to be introduced, and Laxus is not yet an official S-Class Mage. Hope this clears up any confusion. Onwards!

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

The vehicle bobbed up and down the mounds and valleys of the orange sand dunes under the sweltering sun. Erza was seated in the driver seat upfront; the others were clustered in the back seat, with Gray and Mirajane sat facing the rear of the vehicle. Laxus sat across the pair, occupying two seats by himself. Despite the dull roar of the engine, the others still managed to uphold a steady stream of conversation.

"-him and the other members have been talking about it," Gray was saying. He was sitting cross-legged on the seat, his shirt once more discarded on the floor.

"I heard that too," this was Mirajane. "As a matter of fact, quite a few are quite interested, but they don't dare to say anything because they are mostly terrified of him."

"Well we know _whose_ fault is that," Erza said sharply with a glare through the rear view mirror. "The poor guy. You should consider giving him a chance, Laxus."

Laxus frowned. Between trying to hide the fact that he had motion sickness and keep his nausea under control, his cognitive facilities left much to be desired. He had bought an expensive Troia spell from the apothecaries' prior to their journey, but it seemed as though its effects were fast wearing off after two days. Thankfully Erza had insisted on taking the wheel; and while she was probably a year or two under the age limit, Laxus had gladly handed over the responsibility. The journey did not call for much driving experience anyway. The magic plug was still connected to his hand though; after all it was not advisable for young mages to use magic depleting technologies when their cores were not fully developed.

"Who?" Laxus managed to dredge up the single syllable.

"Warren," Erza replied from the front. "Warren Rocko."

"The guy whose hair is like a black bowl on top of his head. His face looks like an octopus," Gray helpfully supplied.

Mirajane looked up. "Ah yes, the guy using telepathic magic."

Laxus rifled through his mind carelessly for a person who met the description, but came up with a blur. "No idea who's that," he said shortly.

It came out sounding more dismissive than he'd intended. Erza shot him a dirty look from the driver seat. "No idea? How can you have no idea!" she exclaimed, sounding annoyed and incredulous at the same time. "He's the same age as you. Even Mirajane knows who he is, and she just joined!"

Gray turned to look at him curiously.

"How many people do you actually know in the guild?"

Another wave of nausea hit him, and Laxus had to slam shut his eyes to suppress it. He was beginning to regret this rash venture of his. Perhaps there was no demon after all. Natsu could go haring after his eternal flame for all he cared.

"I only remember people who are noteworthy, or people whom I've worked with," Laxus said finally, after the initial bout had subsided. It was one of the few coherent sentences he had managed to string together so far, aside from short monosyllables.

Mirajane raised an eyebrow. "Do you actually know the names of all the people in this car?"

Laxus returned it with a glare. "Of course, I'm not an idiot," he snapped.

"So that's me, Mirajane, Gray and Natsu obviously," Erza said, sounding unfazed. Despite it being her (presumably) first driving experience, her hands were lax around the wheel; there was little need for steering. Endless dunes of sand stretched out ahead. "Four people. Anyone else?"

Laxus cast his mind back to the guild hall. Children, more petty children, drinking adults. Some were more talented than the rest, though.

"Cana," he said after a length. The rest of them were probably unimportant. Just indolent, gossiping adults with too much time on their hands. "Macao – and a guy, his friend…" _…what was his name again? It started with a 'W'._ "Walala," Laxus finished on a whim.

He was met with unimpressed silence. Gray in particular was staring at him in disbelief, as if he could not believe that Laxus had been an idiot all this time. Prior to their trip Gray had always regarded Laxus with something akin to admiration; after all he was the strongest mage they knew in Fairy Tail (barring Gildarts), and Laxus currently held the highest number of accomplished jobs in the guild. He was also first on the list of hopeful S-Class mages (though most assumed that it was only a matter of when the Master felt up to holding the trials again). Now however Gray seemed to be privately revising his opinion of Laxus slightly.

"It's Wakaba," Mirajane informed him with a roll of her eyes. "Congratulations by the way, you almost made it to seven."

To be fair, there probably might be a few other names swimming somewhere in the peripheral part of his brain, but at the moment he was too dizzy to care. "Well, there's no point, is there?" Laxus said, keeping his voice as bland as he could. He leaned back further in his seat, wishing desperately for the vehicle to stop. Perhaps he could orchestrate something. A tire falling off, for instance – or a freak storm…

"So basically, you barely remember anyone in the guild because you can't be bothered to," Gray surmised, sounding faintly incredulous.

"Then what _do_ you care about?" Erza asked, sounding equal parts irritated and curious. "You don't care about getting to know the guild members, and you rarely get involved in any guild affairs. All you do is go out for jobs, training, and teaching Natsu. Don't you do anything else at all?"

"Sleep," Laxus deadpanned. "It's what predators do when there is no prey to hunt."

As if to emphasize his point, he closed his eyes to the glare of the sun and feigned sleep. In reality however he was trying to ignore the terrible pounding in his head. It felt like his brain was swimming around in cerebrospinal fluid uncontained by his skull, and every bump of the vehicle only seemed to exacerbate his sickness. The heat did not help matters.

"Hey, are you alright?" he thought he heard Gray's voice say. He sounded concerned. "Is it the magic plug?"

He honestly quite felt like dying. "Fine," Laxus muttered.

A swell of nausea chose that moment to bubble up in his chest, and Laxus clenched down on his fist, refusing to cave to the urge to retch. He really ought to look into a more permanent means of eradicating motion sickness when he got back, he thought fuzzily. Before then it had always been a trivial nuisance easily dismissed; after all he had always picked out routes which required minimum transportation, preferring to take a string of jobs within close vicinity of each other so that he could either walk or teleport himself using his lightning. In long journeys such as these, however, he was beginning to recognize that it was becoming an alarmingly crippling hindrance.

"Why, what's happened?" Erza called out from the front with her usual air of importance. "Gray, give me a report!"

Mirajane was having none of it. "Oh gosh stop fussing," she said snippily. "He's just got motion sickness, though he's too much of an arrogant prick to admit it. Surely you guys have noticed it by now?"

… _damnit._

She reached out and nudged his leg with her foot. Laxus managed to open his eyes to shoot her a death glare, though with not much effect. She tossed him a bright, evil grin. It was too late; the damage was already done. Erza turned around to look at him, and Gray blinked.

" _What?"_

"He – _Laxus_ has _motion sickness_?!"

Voices – incredulous, concerned and gleeful, swam around him. He briefly considered denying it, but he could not quite muster the energy required for an argument. In the end, he simply slumped back in his seat and allowed himself to drift into the swimming darkness which held some semblance to sleep. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if he simply passed out. It had to be better than enduring the uneven, bumpy ride.

From then on, the remaining journey blurred into a haze of wakefulness and dizziness. At length, someone gave him another prod, gentler this time, but Laxus barely noticed it. Erza said something sharply from the front, and the prodding ceased. He vaguely heard someone snap something derogatory; another let out a snort. He wasn't quite sure if it was at his expense, but at the moment he didn't quite care. Let them say what they would, Laxus thought tiredly. He would deal with those later. Later…

* * *

Later somehow found them parked a little ways off from a rundown encampment home to a community of pastoral nomads. It was only late afternoon, but darkness had fallen quickly over the desert, and far in the horizon dusk was already melting into the purple-orange hillocks of sand.

They stumbled out of the vehicle wearily, Erza first, followed by Gray and Mirajane. Laxus alone remained in the vehicle, and the rest were much too wise to comment about it. The trio then slowly made their way towards the small cluster of camps.

The encampment was erected on a flat unassuming square of sand little larger than their guild hall. Makeshift houses, pens and stables stood in haphazard clusters of no particular order. Some were merely bivouacs seemingly constructed by a handful of sticks. Lining the contour of the encampment were wooden palings stuck into the ground. Despite their crude construction, all of the palings were elaborately carved; each seemed to carry a specific rune or its variation, and the symbols were repeated across both back and front of the sharp-ended planks. On top of that, talismans hung from every post available.

On first glance, the area seemed to be rather deserted. A strange scent of herbs and fire lingered in the air, adding to the numinous atmosphere. Hesitantly, they stepped over the threshold together.

"Hello?" Erza was the first to call out. "Is anybody – "

She trailed off. Beyond the row of empty bivouacs, a group of five had emerged from one of the largest makeshift houses. They marched across the distance to meet them, spearheaded by a middle-aged wiry woman who wielded a staff. The others were armed with a thick spear which they held in their right fists. When they reached within a metre of them, they stopped and eyed them with open belligerence.

"We do not welcome visitors," the woman – presumably their leader, spoke. She had a dolicocephalic head, giving the impression that she was taller than she actually was. Multiple strings of queer stones hung from her neck.

Erza gave the woman a stiff, short bow. "We apologize for intruding upon your homes so suddenly," she began quickly. "We merely wanted to ask for directions to Sun Village."

At the last word, the leader's expression only tightened further. "Another trio here looking for Sun Village, I see," she sneered contemptuously. "I'm not going to tell you where it is."

Erza looked up, her eyes widening, and they exchanged glances. "Did you happen to see some treasure hunters pass through this way, then?"

"Oho, so you _are_ pals with them! Those filthy _treasure hunters_ ," the woman said. Her beady black eyes glared at them from beneath her mass of plaited hair. "Looking for them, are you now? Well, I hope the pair of them rot and die under the hands of the Big Guardians. You lot are nothing but thieves – selfish, petty thieves!"

"What about the boy who was with them?" Erza persisted, heedless of the woman's rising ire. "Did you see him? He has pink hair – "

"-and slanty-eyes," Gray supplied, before he was silenced by a glare.

"What, boy? It left with them, obviously!" she snapped. "Now get out of our territory, before we cut off your heads and stick them on spikes as an offering to the demons!"

With sudden swiftness the woman stepped forwards and gave Erza a violent shove with the butt of her spear. The female warrior stumbled backwards, surprised at the force. Gray made to step forwards, his hands fisted together angrily, but Mirajane beat him to it. Something was not quite right.

"Demons, you say?" she asked curiously. "Is that why you're wearing all those talismans?"

The woman turned her eyes to Mirajane for the first time. "That's right you foolish girl," she snarled back. "Demons. Powerful, terrible demons. They roam this desert every night. Fire is the only thing that can keep them at bay; not just any fire, but magical fire. Like the Eternal Flame those stupid treasure hunters wanted to steal. It is the only thing keeping this area safe from them, but you people would seek to snatch our protection from us! The demons would destroy us all!"

Mirajane stopped. Fire! Of course. The runes inscribed on the palings made sense now - she had once sought to use them on herself, after all. But at the same time, they did not quite make sense. For as far as she could remember, they could only be cast under two conditions: the first of which was that it had to be cast on an inanimate object. (Mirajane had then promptly thrown down the guild library book in disappointment and anger.) Then there was the second condition. A suspicion began to form in her head, and suddenly she began to pick up on the woman's mannerisms – the open hostility, the small shift in her eyes towards the left. Elfmann had that habit too, when he lied.

"That sounds terrible," Mirajane said aloud, making a sympathetic face. The woman's pupils quivered, just barely noticeable, but there nevertheless. Time to throw caution to the wind. She took a step forwards. "It would be _really_ bad if, say… one of them were to turn up in this settlement, wouldn't it?"

The temperature plunged; her voice had abruptly turned icy. In a sharp gesture, Mirajane threw off her black cloak and held up her cursed appendage.

A collective gasp of shock travelled through the settlement. The woman gave a strangled noise of fear and stepped back, her eyes wide with terror. The onlookers, who had initially been watching the confrontation with interest, flinched backwards out of the berth. In her periphery, Mirajane noted that even Erza and Gray had fallen silent. She didn't need to turn around to guess their reactions – horror and disgust at having associated with a demon. She brushed it aside coldly.

"I think you're lying to me, granny," Mirajane continued with ersatz sweetness. "You referred to the treasure hunters as 'the pair of them', suggesting that you knew Natsu did not, in fact, leave with them. But now I'm hearing something even more interesting… you say you need magical fire to keep the demons away, hm? But it's not just any magical fire, is it? After all, those runes you have on your fences need to be regularly activated with a dragon's flames."

"I – I don't know what you're spouting, demon!" the woman stuttered in denial, her staff held up defensively. Mirajane arched a single eyebrow. She took a step closer to the nomads' leader and reached out with her cursed hand, picking a jade talisman off her necklace with deliberate gentleness. She then proceeded to hold it up before the woman's eyes before crushing it between her two withered fingers. It crumbled instantly into fine dust.

The woman's eyes were flickering now, fumbling desperately for excuses, like a cornered animal. Mirajane felt a peculiar twist of satisfaction. She tilted up her chin to meet her gaze deliberately, and smiled.

"Where are you keeping Natsu?"

"I – you – stay away from me!"

Something in the woman's eyes shuttered, her stupefied fear morphing rapidly into anger. Abandoning all attempts at pretence, the woman took another step backwards, and in a single gesture signalled to the other accompanying leaders. Instantly, Mirajane found herself cornered on all sides by five spears pointed at her.

"Mira!" Erza shouted, but then two other nomads rushed forwards at their leaders' orders and levelled their weapons at Erza's throat. Erza's eyes narrowed.

" **Requip!"** she commanded. A bright burst of fuchsia – then nothing. She had completely worn herself out by secretly connecting the vehicle's magic plug to herself instead of Laxus for the past hour. Mirajane hid a flash of anxiety. She abruptly realized their poor predicament: Erza was nearly out of magic, Laxus was out of commission, and she herself had barely learnt to utilize her powers, if she had any at all. They were currently in a pitiful state for battle, especially against a whole encampment of nomads in their own territory.

Thankfully, they still had Gray.

In a bright flash of silver light, the five spears pointed in her direction abruptly froze. The guards turned around to look at each other, momentarily confused, and Mirajane leapt at the opportunity. She threw out her cursed hand, indigo lights pulsing through the pustules on her veins, and abruptly let loose a ring of energy. A menacing arc of purple expanded from her fingers and blasted them backwards with the force of a rogue whirlwind. They stumbled and crashed into the palings, some of them knocking over the nomads who came rushing out to join the fray.

Pandemonium ensued.

"Gray, go find Natsu!" Mirajane shouted. If there were any physical restraints that managed to subdue even Natsu, Gray could shatter them using his Ice Magic quickly. Gray caught her glance and nodded.

"Natsu is going to owe me one!" he cried gleefully, and he darted away into the chaos surrounding one of the main makeshift houses.

In the meantime Erza had not remained idle either; she was already on her feet, matching her sword blow-for-blow with two other men much larger than she was. Mirajane made to move towards her, but suddenly a staff came swinging at her face. On instinct, Mirajane simply grabbed it with her clawed hand; it disintegrated instantly under the force. For a brief moment, Mirajane looked down at her cursed hand pulsing with ugly purple light, stunned, and felt something which was no longer disgust.

 _That, Mirajane, is your magical power._

 _I have no need for such power,_ she had said.

Perhaps not, back in the quaint village with her siblings, she thought as she crushed another weapon swinging for her with ease. Back then all she had ever needed was endurance. Endurance to suffer through the hard toil of physical labour each day, endurance to tolerate the verbal abuse with a smile, and worst of all the pitying glances directed her way wherever she went. She had no room for ambitions, no time for dreams, much less magic; for she was the sole breadwinner of their household, and while it was burden she bore gladly, it was a heavy burden still.

But standing here and now, caught in the fray of a magic battle, she suddenly realized the sheer disparity between her little quiet world and the world outside of it. Somehow, in this part of the world, food and money had become peripheral concerns; instead, magic power had taken its place on the mantel. Magic prowess meant status, it meant survival. In this part of the world, her curse _was_ her strength, and for the first time in her life, she was able to stand up and fight instead of suffering patiently. For her, it felt refreshing; it felt liberating.

"Mira! The door!" Erza shouted.

Mirajane whirled around, slamming her hand into another nomad's face with inhuman force. The man crumpled to the ground instantly. Adrenaline burned like electric through her veins, as if awakening all her senses for the first time. She pivoted on one foot and slammed a leg into another, before turning to meet Erza's demand.

"What?" she snapped.

"Gray!" Erza yelled back. The female warrior was currently wrestling with three others; a number of unconscious bodies littered the ground at Erza's feet. "They are blocking him!"

Mirajane looked back over her shoulder – Gray was currently standing at the doorway of the largest makeshift house, alternating between dodging blows and firing off ice spells. Despite his agility and remarkable casting, however, he was quickly being overpowered by the sheer number of nomads guarding the entrance. Mirajane ducked under a woman guard's arm and made to run to his aid, but a sudden, sharp blow to her head caught her off guard. The force slammed into her like an accelerating vehicle hitting the bottom of a steep slope, and Mirajane was flung violently to the ground, pain rattling through her system. The world flickered, and lights flashed before her eyes.

"Don't think we aren't prepared to take you down, demon," a voice said. The silhouette of the leader came into view, and suddenly she was bearing down her, the nomadic staff digging into Mirajane's chest. "We might not have a dragon's power yet, but we do have ancient magics of our own!"

Mirajane blinked rapidly a few times, trying to regain her senses. Confusion, noise and pain rang in her skull, making it difficult to focus. She tried to grab the staff with her right hand to pull it off her, but the moment she did the inscriptions on the wood flared a fierce white and scalded her fingers. She let go of it with a yelp of pain.

"Why, now, does it hurt, little demon? Why don't you try doing it again?" the woman jeered, holding the staff over Mirajane mercilessly. Her previous stuttering fear was gone, replaced instead by a mask of hatred and disgust.

Still, Mirajane refused to be cowed. "You are no better than the treasure hunters you called thieves," she spat from her position on the floor, her tone icy. "You would kidnap a boy for your selfish purposes and attack a bunch of children with your weapons. You have young ones in your homes, too. And you call yourself their leader?"

The woman scoffed and pressed the staff down harder. "Would you call yourself a child?" she said, her voice dark with hatred. "Because I wouldn't."

For a brief moment, their eyes met – and Mirajane abruptly caught a glimpse of the reaction she had feared all her life ever since she had been cursed. Fear. Horror. Disgust. It felt like a sharp, point-blank blow to her head. It suddenly dawned on Mirajane that the nomads did not see her as a human being at all. Erza and Gray they might seek to capture and subdue, but she was different - they wanted to kill her.

 _I was a child once, too_ a part of her said, distantly. _I had a family, and my parents adored me, just like every other girl._

"I'm not a demon," Mirajane said aloud instead, and she was relieved to find the slight tremor in her voice was eclipsed by resolute steel. She looked into the leader's eyes, drawing courage from the other's repulsion, and allowed the pressure of her magic to build. "I'm much more than that."

A brilliant magic circle of the deepest indigo lit up beneath where she lay. Layers of runes swirled around her, each circle rotating in opposition to each other, every one of them ablaze with a dazzling glow. Magic sang through her veins, a heady rush of power both beautiful and terrifying, and suddenly, _something_ in her awoke and reared up its head.

 _A demon's power._

She arched back, her blood electric in her veins, and like exhaling sharply after a long gulp of breath, a large mass of dark energy screamed into the air and ripped the woman into the air away from her. The nomads' leader gave a shout of surprise before she was hurled through the air into one of bivouacs. She crashed into sticks and stones and dust, her limbs jerking uncontrollably. Mirajane leapt to her feet and made to advance on the other, but then a sudden realization made her pause.

Something foreign was thrashing around in her system, begging to be unleashed. Objectively, she knew that she needed this power to defeat the nomads, and it was entirely possible that she _could,_ even on her own. But at what cost? An icy trickle of fear crossed her mind. She had never truly wielded her powers before then, never sought to refine or control it to her will, only seeking to rid of it. As a result, her magic was a violent fury of energy roiling in her core. If she were truly to release it fully without learning how to build constraints, there was a huge possibility that it would overpower her mind - and she would be fully overtaken by the demon residing in her.

 _Laxus,_ she thought with a sense of desperation. He was the only one trained enough to handle this battle aside from Erza, who was still battling magical exhaustion. Granted, his magic stores were probably paltry in comparison to his usual capabilities, but it was more than likely to be sufficient. Somehow, she had to get back to the vehicle and drag him on-site, before Erza and Gray succumbed to the nomads' numbers.

With the thought in mind, Mirajane turned to her heels and fled. The leader shouted something from behind her, possibly another command, but she didn't dare to pause or turn back. She ducked around another nomad, heading for the borders, and leapt over the palings in a dead run for their vehicle. But even as her legs left the ground, out of nowhere, a hand reached out to grab her from behind. On instinct she immediately retaliated with a vicious blow with her right hand, but unlike before, upon impact her attacker did not react at all.

"Why is it so noisy?"

She could have recognized that drawl anywhere.

"What the _hell_ Laxus!" Mirajane snapped, twisting around, and he released her. Relief and anger flooded through her system all at once, making it difficult to speak. "You could have come a bit sooner!"

Laxus eyed the battle before him impassively, looking rather unimpressed. He looked like he had just woken up nursing a mild temper; annoyance was practically rolling off him in waves. He picked a talisman off the post and turned it over between his fingers.

"Why are we bothering with… _this?_ " he said with distaste.

Mirajane was temporarily floored. There was too much to explain, the settlement was a mess of confusion and battle, the demonic power was still writhing in her system willing to be set free – and here he was standing calm as you please, looking as if he couldn't be bothered at all.

"Your dear _apprentice_ is being imprisoned somewhere in this settlement to serve as their totem or something for driving away demons," Mirajane hissed, snatching away the talisman Laxus was holding and pulverizing it instantly. "If you don't want all of us to be taken prisoner, or worse killed, for goodness' sake, get your lazy ass up and _do_ something!"

Laxus blinked, looking surprised. "Natsu?" He sniffed the air a few times, before his brows contracted. "Oh. So I never needed to be concerned about a demon of Zeref's in the first place," he said. He sounded as if he couldn't decide if he was cross or relieved. For a moment Mirajane thought Laxus would finally leap to action following the succinct explanation, but then Laxus snorted, looking extremely amused, and if possible - even less concerned than before. "Wait, seriously - Natsu, as a nomadic _totem?_ Hahaha!"

Mirajane felt her temper twang a warning. "Do you seriously think this is funny, Laxus Dreyar?" she snarled. "Erza is out there fighting to the brink of exhaustion, and Gray – " she turned around and suddenly noted that the noise of the battle had died down. A ring of nomads were standing over their fallen prey in the middle, obscuring the figure from their view, but there was no doubt in mind who it was. Erza. The fight at the front of the main house had ceased completely; broken shards of ice both large and small littered the floor in a glittery display. But Gray was nowhere to be found.

"Joined by another friend here, are we?" a voice called out, interrupting them.

It was the woman leader from before. Her hair was now a mass of twigs, and she seemed to be leaning heavily on her left leg, but she seemed otherwise still capable of battle. She had now discarded her spear, opting to wield only her staff instead. Without a word, the woman held up a hand and signalled for the ring of nomads to part. They did so, only to reveal a limp Erza pinned down against the floor. It was almost as if they were subduing a wild animal they had hunted. When another bent down to tie Erza's hands, the female warrior lashed out with a kick, sending the nomad reeling backwards with a cry. Another stepped forwards to intervene, but Erza began thrashing around violently, which eventually resulted in two men dragging her upright by each arm to face their authoritarian figure. Mirajane cast her eyes anxiously around for Gray, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.

"The ice-boy got away, _leier,_ " one reported in answer to the unasked question in the air. His hands were clasped behind him in an act of deference to their leader. "The people are still looking for him. We suspect he might have left the site."

"I see. The dragon-boy?"

"Still unconscious. We shall be keeping it asleep while we extract its magic; it is incredibly powerful fire it has, after all, and it did quite a lot of damage when it first woke."

Mirajane felt new incredulous anger thread threw her veins. _It?_

"Right," the woman said pleasantly. She turned back to them, her eyes glittering with malice. "So, how shall we settle this then, young mages?"

It happened in an instant. Without warning, lightning arced down from the sky with a deafening clap, forking and crackling in the air. It struck the ground in front of them with a earth-shuddering _boom,_ throwing up a tremendous fist of sand reminiscent of an exploding geyser. A handful of unfortunate souls in the vicinity were catapulted high into the air by its sheer force, before dropping in a haphazard scatter around the settlement, unconscious. When the dust cleared, there was a large gaping crater in the centre of the settlement; the bivouacs which had once stood there had instantly been incinerated by a single blow. Cries of horror and alarm rose up around the settlement, before instantly melting into terrified silence.

"The last time I fought _somebody_ who pissed me off, I accidentally created a crater of this size despite a conscious effort to hold back," Laxus said menacingly. He had not moved an inch from where he had been standing. "I did not waste months of my time training an apprentice so that he can be your demon repellent. So before I get tired of controlling my temper, bring me the ' _dragon-boy'._ You have five seconds."

Faces swivelled to look at them, looking just as stunned as Mirajane felt. This was followed by a frantic scrambling of feet as a few quickly rushed towards the main makeshift house, but at the last minute they turned back to look at their leader, hesitant. The woman simply stood there, stunned and afraid, but unwilling to admit so. Her lips pinned into a thin white line.

"Five," Laxus warned.

Still, she did not move, neither did she concede a defeat. "You would fault me for trying to protect my people," the woman tried to say accusingly, but Laxus paid her no heed. Mirajane felt a flare of anger.

"Then do not fault us for protecting _ours,_ " she returned coldly. The woman bristled.

"The sand gods heard our prayers and delivered it to us!" she said. "It is within our every right-"

"Four," Laxus counted, in a bored tone. But before any one of them could say anything else, they were interrupted by a bright beam of light cutting through the darkness. The nomads paused, muttering confusedly amongst themselves, before they were abruptly assaulted by the sound of someone shouting over a furiously revving engine.

"-OUT OF MY WAY!"

Out of the darkness, suddenly, a magic-powered vehicle – _their_ magic-powered vehicle – came hurtling with full speed into view. Standing in the front seat with both hands on the steering wheel was Gray, shouting at the top of his lungs. It careened in their direction with a full-throttle roar, kicking up a huge plume of sand and splinters as it crashed right through the nomads' settlement with no regard of collateral damage whatsoever. The nomads scattered instantly, shouting in panic and tripping over each other as they tried to clear out of the way of the metal beast.

"ERZA! GET IN!" Gray cried, completely unaware of the tide-change in the battle. "We'll ram this through their houses!"

Erza had other concerns. "Gray! Stop the vehicle at once!"

The warning came a split second too late; the vehicle hit the lip of the crater which had previously not been there, tilted alarmingly, and went right over the edge. There was a loud swear and a yell, and Gray and the vehicle disappeared in a fresh plume of fine dust. Laxus sighed.

"Three," he said blandly.

It took until the count of one for the men to reappear with Natsu between them. The nomads holding Erza released her after receiving no further instructions from their leader; and Mirajane bent over the edge of the crater to help a coughing Gray climb the rest of the way up. There was a brief moment when both paused as Mirajane made an involuntary movement as if to withdraw her proffered right hand to switch it with her left, but then Gray grabbed it before she could and offered her a grateful grin.

When they finally deposited the fire Dragon-Slayer before them, the pink-haired boy remained completely unconscious despite looking largely unhurt. Laxus took a step forwards, allowing his shadow to loom terrifyingly over the two nomads and voice the unasked question in his stead. The pair shrunk back instinctively in fear.

"I-It will wake in a few hours on his own, I swear!" one of them stuttered. "It's completely fine, just sleeping–"

"It's _he_ , not _it,_ " this time Erza spoke up before Mirajane could, her voice a dangerous calm. Erza looked as if she was struggling to stand, and she was bleeding from countless injuries all over her body, but both her eyes were hard with steel. "And if he doesn't, you'd better pray that the demons will find you before we do."

Without another word, Laxus bent down to pick up Natsu, slinging the boy over his shoulder as he had so often done in the past. Then he walked towards Erza, looked at her for a moment, before proceeding to drape her over his other shoulder as well, much to the other's horror and sputtered complaints. He then turned back to face the nomads' leader and levelled a deadly glare in her direction, as if daring her to voice a challenge.

"Are we _settled_ now?" Laxus asked acerbically.

The woman bit down hard on her lip, her eyes burning with anger. Her grip on the staff was so tight that her knuckles shone white-green beneath her skin, but otherwise she gave no reply.

"Then I accept your apology," Laxus said, sarcastically. He turned to Mirajane and Gray, an eyebrow cocked as he gestured towards the crater with a jerk of his neck.

"Get a move on, you two."

Mirajane started. "Wait, you don't mean – how are you driving out of _that_ crater?"

Laxus smiled, revealing two especially sharp canines. "By expanding the crater of course. We are going to make a slope."

* * *

It was not easy going.

The vehicle juddered, jerked and screamed for all its engines were worth. The tyres screeched and spun helplessly beneath them, kicking up huge showers of dust without actually moving anywhere. Mirajane was on the verge of suggesting Laxus get off the vehicle and yanking it out of the crater manually before its spinning gained momentum, and it abruptly shot off and up the steep incline into the night. One moment they were at the bottom of a pit in the middle of a nomadic settlement, the next they were rocketing through the bumps and valleys of the dunes, the occupants in the vehicle thrown helplessly from side to side.

They travelled the first few minutes in silence, their first joint battle (or in Mirajane's case, first ever battle) still fresh on their minds. In the back seat, Gray was already dozing off, exhausted from all the action. Erza was the first to speak up at length, sounding rather glum.

"Why didn't you defeat me during our duel back at the guild?" she asked Laxus. "I know you could have."

"And risk destroying the entire guild hall?" Laxus replied with a drawl. Despite his light tone it was evident that he was spending a laborious effort on trying not to get sick. "Besides, you would have been a sore loser and demanded it a rematch. Then it will go on forever."

Erza reeled back, looking terribly offended. "No I wouldn't! I am more honourable than that!"

Laxus was unfazed. "Really? Because Natsu isn't." Abruptly, he pressed his foot down on the brakes, and the vehicle slowed to a sluggish trundle. There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. At this, Mirajane looked up, a half-formed tease on her tongue before Laxus spoke up with no effort at pretence.

"Shall we risk the nomads coming after us for revenge at night, or me getting sick all over the wheel?" he asked dryly.

Funnily enough, they decided that the former possessed a lower risk score. They shuffled little further before the vehicle stuttered to a complete halt. Erza nudged Gray awake, and wearily, the group clambered out of the vehicle, two door slams ringing dully into the night.

As usual, Erza immediately set about scavenging through their bags for supplies to prepare their meals. But this time Mirajane surprised her by taking them neatly out of her hands.

"I'll do it," the white-haired girl said, purposefully dismissive. "My cooking tastes way better than yours."

Erza paused for a moment, taken aback, before her face relaxed into a genuine smile. "Thanks, Mirajane."

Mirajane cleared her throat. "Just Mira," she corrected her. "You keep going back and forth, it's confusing."

"Mira, then," Erza said, beaming at her first new female friend. She sat across Mirajane and began fishing out bits of dried twigs from the sand to start a fire. "I didn't know you could wield such powerful magic, by the way. It's incredible."

Mirajane's eyes skittered up to meet Erza's, startled. The red-headed girl was looking at her with admiration, without a trace of fear or disgust. A strange hope fluttered her chest.

"It was all an accident," Mirajane said, suddenly uncertain of what to say. "I got it while fighting a demon in my hometown."

There was a pause. "Is that why you came to Fairy Tail, then?" Erza asked.

The redheaded girl seemed to be genuinely curious. Not jeering, not taunting. Not repulsed. Mirajane fiddled uncomfortably with the bag strap in her hand. "I – I thought it was a curse. I was ashamed of it. I thought everyone would be repulsed by me if they knew, so I ran away from home."

The image of Elfmann and Lisanna sprang unbidden into her mind, and suddenly, the horrors, her vision blurred into a swipe of tears. Mirajane looked away quickly and began to busy herself with food preparations, without being actually aware of what she was doing. Dimly, she heard the scratching of metal on rock as Laxus and Gray set about erecting the tents across the clearing. She could feel Erza's eyes on her, as if the other wanted to say something, but was not quite sure how to phrase it.

"Not everyone, Mira," Erza said finally, at length. Her voice was gentle. When Mirajane looked up, she noticed that Erza was looking down at her own two hands, a finger tracing the faint scars around her wrists. When she caught Mirajane staring, she raised her head and offered her a warm smile. It suddenly dawned on Mirajane that the people around her bore their own demons, too. "Family will always accept you whoever you are."

The word raised a lump in her throat. Not trusting herself to speak, Mirajane bent down jerkily and fished out a bag of dried herbs they had bought from Sakaar. She reached into it and grabbed a handful before scattering them into the bag full of locusts.

She had wanted to find a 'cure'. She had wanted to rid of the foreign appendage attached to her elbow and then return to her siblings in their village. They still ought to have ample money left from the prize Laxus had handed her, after all, so they could still survive on their own. But perhaps it was not to be. Perhaps, Mirajane thought, it was time for her to go back home.

"Is there any food to eat yet? I'm starving!"

A voice broke through her seditious thoughts. Gray came walking into view, one hand scratching the back of his head as he did. He looked from Erza to Mirajane, noted the bag of locusts and shuddered.

"Ughh… maybe I would rather eat ice instead," he said, sounding disappointed. Mirajane shook herself out of her reverie and resumed her usual haughtiness.

"Don't worry, Gray. Erza's not cooking today. It'll be edible."

Erza's eyes narrowed at the slight, and the moment of their temporary civility was immediately forgotten. "What? My food was perfectly edible! Besides, I didn't hear you offering to help when I was cooking, so you have no right to complain!"

"' _Perfectly edible'_ she says," Mirajane said, mimicking Erza's tone on purpose. "Edible my foot."

Gray looked from one mage to the other. "Yes, let's just all eat ice instead," he said in resignation. Laxus simply deposited Natsu by Erza's fire and collapsed heavily to the floor beside Gray with a sigh.

"I'm _really_ not looking forwards to Natsu waking up," Laxus muttered.

* * *

Natsu woke everyone up at dawn with an incredulous shout.

" _WHAAT? GRAY? MIRAJANE?! AND ERZA?!"_

The shouting match escalated from there.

"Don't destroy my eardrums the moment you wake up, you moron!"

"Why is Natsu in our tent? I thought I told Laxus to take him."

"Where is this? Where am I? Why are you here?!"

"Laxus probably dumped him back on us so that he could sleep in. That selfish jerk."

" _Laxus?!_ Laxus is here?!"

"KEEP IT DOWN YOU IDIOT!"

"Where are the desert people? Where are they? Whereeee-!"

-CLANG. Silence. From the relative safety of his tent, Laxus shifted to cover his eardrums with one arm. It was as he had expected; the nightmare of noise, fights and childish squabbles had begun. If only he could teleport off alone, he thought to himself morosely. He had little desire to return to the bumpy, nausea-inducing ride in the vehicle; and judging by the amount of time it had taken for them to reach the nomads' village from Sakaar, they still had approximately two full days of journeying through the desert before they could reach civilization.

Sometimes, he really hated his life.

The babble of voices soon increased in volume again, and they drifted across the quiet dunes to reach his ears. It soon became apparent that the group were making their way to his tent.

"-moved his tent all the way to other side! How selfish!" a female voice fumed.

"-like we'd let him sleep in. If we're forced to wake up, so will he!"

"-this is not making any sense…" a dizzy voice said.

"Then just keep your mouth shut, or I'll freeze it shut for you!" another threatened.

The flap leading to his tent was wrenched open. Laxus kept his back resolutely turned on them. It was to no avail, however, because the next thing he knew someone commanded a single syllable, 'Gray', and he was abruptly showered by a huge flurry of ice. He jerked upright sharply, a snarl ready on his tongue.

"Morning, mister sunshine," Mirajane called sarcastically.

"Erza asked me to do it," Gray said flatly.

"Why did you bring Natsu back to our tent? There's already three of us in there, he could at least share with you," Erza complained.

Laxus opened his eyes and glared around at all of them, before turning his attention on Natsu. The boy seemed to be completely well, if rather discombobulated by the series of events. He was also uncharacteristically quiet.

"Do you know how to spell?" Laxus said suddenly, directing the question at Natsu, opting to forego any greeting altogether.

Natsu blinked, thrown off guard. "Wha-? Er, yeah…? Just not correctly."

"Well, you ought to learn these two words at least. D-E-M-O-N and D-R-A-G-O-N. Recognize a difference?" Laxus said sarcastically.

Natsu blinked, and scratched his head. "No."

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Next time, when someone says they've seen a powerful creature which wrecks major destruction, it's probably a demon, not a dragon, so don't go haring after it. Or at least, tell Mirajane so she can benefit from getting its powers."

At this turn of conversation, Natsu's lips immediately took on a stubborn pout. "Grog said it could be a fire dragon too!"

"It's _Greg,_ " Erza corrected him automatically, but neither paid her any heed.

" _Or_ it could be a fire demon, which is considerably more common among these areas if you'd bothered to look it up," Laxus said, annoyed.

"Even the treasure hunters said it was possible that it was a dragon!" Natsu declared stubbornly.

"Of course they would, right before they traded you to the nomads in return for more information I suppose," Laxus said scathingly.

Erza, ever the mediator, stepped in to interrupt their argument. "That's enough from both of you," she said severely. "Natsu, I understand your desperation, but you can't simply go off alone like that! You could have gotten hurt, and no one would be able to help you, especially so far out in the desert. What if Laxus had never come after you?"

"Igneel wouldn't hurt humans," Natsu said defiantly, a slight tremble in his voice.

"My point exactly," Laxus snapped again, sounding irritable. "Did you know that the current death rate for treasure hunters who went looking for the eternal flame stands at 500? There's a room for those records in Sakaar. And you would still believe that 'eternal flame' is your dragon? We've got to be the first few to make it out of the desert if we get back."

Mirajane shot Laxus a warning glance, but he didn't pay her any notice. Natsu's bottom lip trembled.

"I don't want to go back to Fairy Tail! I want to see Igneel!" Natsu shouted.

At this, everyone looked over sharply to the pink-haired Dragon-Slayer. It was perfectly evident that he was on the verge of tears. Erza's eyes softened, and Laxus glanced away, looking uncomfortable. Gray peered at Natsu in amazement.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

Natsu glared at him through his tears. "No!"

"Oh gosh don't cry Natsu," Mirajane said sincerely. "You look too adorable to tease."

"Shut up! I'm not crying!"

Erza sighed. "What are we to do?" she asked.

Even though she had said it aloud in general, the question was unmistakably directed at Laxus; he was the one in charge after all. One by one, their gazes slowly turned to him - Mirajane, Gray and Erza looking conflicted, Natsu annoyingly hopeful. Laxus mentally groaned. Not for the first time since this trip had begun, he berated himself for choosing Natsu at all as his apprentice. Perhaps he should have trained someone with less of a proclivity of inviting trouble. Not Mirajane - she was too temperamental. Gray, perhaps. He seemed to be able to think on his feet, and knew how to withdraw and attack with different strategies, as evidenced by their fight with the nomads. That in itself was quite admirable for someone his age. It reminded Laxus of himself.

But then again, perhaps that was exactly why he had picked Natsu in the first place. Dragon-Slayer powers aside, Natsu possessed a shocking tenacity which surpassed both expectations and common sense. He rarely ever strategized, let alone retreated; opting instead to sally forwards into battle in full rage and fury. The way he charged into every impossible challenge Laxus threw at him (sometimes just for kicks), for better or for worse, was... admirable to say the least. Entertaining, definitely. Besides the nature of their powers, Natsu and Laxus were nothing at all alike.

"I'm not driving the car there," Laxus said finally, heavily. He could already feel his stomach turn at the thought of returning to that moving prison cell. "I'll just be the fuel power," he muttered, morosely. He lay back down on his sleeping bag with a thump.

The others exchanged glances in temporary silence. Then they began talking over each other excitedly, all at once.

"Wait, does that mean we're going to Sun Village?"

" _Aww_ , Laxus, how sweet!"

"Great! More locusts for meals."

"Gray, your clothes!"

Something landed heavily on his chest, causing him to crack open an eyelid. Natsu had climbed right on top of him, grinning so widely his face threatened to split in half. His previous tears had vanished without a trace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are a divinity!" Natsu cried with passionate feeling. "I promise I will drive the car with my very utmost best for you, Laxus!"

He then proceeded to perform a ridiculous series of bows he'd copied from watching the nomads' rituals on top of Laxus. Laxus felt the last vestiges of his patience disappear completely. With a flick of his finger to Natsu's forehead, he sent the boy flying to the opposite end of the tent with a yell, where he crash-landed on an irate Gray.

" _You_ are not driving me anywhere!" he snapped.

* * *

.

 _A/N: Phew, that was long! I don't know what you'll think of this, but this chapter has been fun for me to write. I particularly enjoyed writing badass Mira :p and of course, the ever-irritable oldest brother Laxus. Heehee!_

 _Now. On to my rant._

 _I've been watching the final season of FT recently, and while it is quite interesting, I find myself not particularly thrilled by this arc; which is surprising considering it's what the entire 2 previous seasons have been building up towards all this while. There is no moment of respite; the characters are thrown into battle after battle, the Spriggans are appearing and disappearing too fast to make a proper impact, and the power scaling seems rather forced. Laxus is in incapacitated, Gildarts is conveniently missing – fine. The Four 'Kings of Ishgar' are wiped out off-screen. Never mind. Then Jellal comes along, with Erza and Kagura – and I think finally!, some good action from non-FT members, but what does he do? Be completely and utterly useless. I swear, ever since he changed over to the good side, he has done absolutely nothing worthy of note. I don't see him and his 'Crime Sorceire' achieving anything; and besides, isn't he supposed to be extremely powerful? He achieved the title of a 10 Wizard Saint with only a tenth of his power, as Siegrain was only a thought projection, and that was years ago. By this logic, shouldn't he at the very least be on par with Laxus/a Spriggan? But no. All he does is take one blow for Kagura, drown, and require CPR. *eye-roll* I went back and re-watched the earlier FT episodes and found myself enjoying them so much more. My favourite ones were mostly the light-hearted episodes where we're allowed more glimpses into each character and their guild life: Lucy mistakenly thinking Natsu is asking her out on a date, the cherry blossom festival, the 24-hour marathon, the musical theatre job etc. Those were so fun and hilarious! I wish they would bring back a little of those in Season 3, but judging by how things are going, and the grim atmosphere – I doubt it's going to happen._

 _That's all for my rant. Tell me what you think about the chapter? :p I know this isn't an epic save-the-world plot kind of story, but as you can tell from my rant, I'm currently not big into those. This story is mainly focusing on the guild and its problems, the characters, and everyone's big little problems, basically. There will be drama, plenty of it, but not on the universe-is-at-stake kind. At least, not for now. I hope you won't be disappointed by that and enjoy it all the same, though! *hopeful smile*_

 _Here's a rating system if you're lazy to put your thoughts into words:_

 _:D for amazing_

 _O for okay_

 _X for terrible_

 _Review, pretty please? Cheers! :D :D_


	5. Chapter 5

**Their Master's Son**

Many thanks to those who have reviewed and favorited this story despite me being such a well, terrible author at updating. After long, silent months, I am finally back! Onwards!

This chapter is dedicated to _Edweis_ , _SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta, GoddessxNyte2_ and _JuptileNamudori253_ for your amazing reviews and continuous support. 3

DISCLAIMER: I disclaim.

* * *

By the time they were minutes into their journey, Laxus was already regretting his decision. Storm clouds gathered and dissipated in response to his erratic magic, casting ephemeral shadows over the group every now and then. A part of him wished for a disaster to befall them and put a halt to the tortuous drive – but that would only mean proceeding by foot, which would lead to another week of traveling in the godforsaken desert, and that would be an even less desirable outcome.

Natsu did not seem to be faring terribly well either, judging by his pallor and constant retching noises. It did little to alleviate his suffering, but Laxus derived _some_ vindictive satisfaction from it. At least he wasn't suffering alone.

And then, two hours and a half later, Laxus' prayers were answered in the form of a flashing communications lacrima. There was a brief moment when Gray and Mirajane exchanged glances, before Mirajane rolled her eyes and looked out of the window loftily. Gray reached into Laxus' bag and drew it out in resignation. He pressed a palm against it, and immediately the image of a panicked Warren filled the glass orb.

"Gray! Are you with Laxus?" he gasped.

"Warren? What's the matter?" Gray asked, surprised, but the other barely listened.

"Is Laxus there? Please put him on, it's urgent!" Warren continued. Across Gray, Laxus cracked open an eyelid menacingly.

"He is _not,_ " Laxus said in warning, before firmly shutting his eyes again. Gray glanced at Mirajane helplessly, who shrugged. Upfront, Erza was casting suspicious glances at the rear-view mirror.

"Uh, he's not really – available at the moment," Gray said awkwardly. "What happened?"

"A whole bunch of wizards came attacking us!" Warren gushed. "They've wrecked our guild hall!"

There was a moment of shocked silence. " _What?"_ Gray exclaimed. "Where's Master?"

"Master is away on a Council meeting for a week," Warren said in despair. "He's dealing with a lot of Council reports and complaints – I didn't want to bother him – "

The vehicle screeched to a violent halt. Natsu, who was slumped at the edge of his seat, was thrown forwards onto the floor. Seconds later, Erza was clambering into their carriage, a scary expression on her face.

"What was that?" she demanded. "Warren, what's going on?"

"Erza!" Warren exclaimed. He looked visibly shaken. "It's a bunch of wizards from random villages, they attacked us late at night and they wrecked the hall! We tried to fight them off but they were too strong for us, Cana managed to trap a few but the rest of them just started tearing down the place – "

"What? They are not from any guild? And they would dare attack Fairy Tail?" Erza said, incensed.

"And you guys couldn't even handle them," Laxus said bitingly from his lying position across them. He sat up slowly as the pounding of his head gradually eased into a mild throb, and his mind slowly regained its focus. Erza shot him a poisonous glare. Warren on the other hand looked instantly relieved.

"Was that Laxus' voice? Laxus is with you guys?" he said. "Laxus, you really need to come back and help us! The guys said they are coming back tonight! They've injured many of our members - we can't defend against them!"

With the return of his facilities came the return of his temper. Laxus felt his patience twang warningly. "And why can't you?" he said flatly. "How many of them are there? And how many mages do we have in our guild?"

There was a pause, then, "Around ten of them. But Laxus, they really are very skilled wizards, and if the news spreads, the other guilds will look down on us – you know how it is." Warren finished, looking rather pained. "I'm really – we're all really sorry to trouble you, but we really need your help. Please."

Erza stepped in. "It's not your fault, Warren," she said firmly, though her gaze was levelled at Laxus. "It is every guild member's responsibility to help and defend their comrades when they are in need. It'll take the rest of us a few days, but Laxus can travel via lightning; if he moves now he should be able to make it back by tonight. Don't worry."

Laxus' nostrils flared. "And who says I'm going?" he said threateningly, but Erza had already cut off the communications. Laxus felt his temper burn.

Erza was unrelenting. "You know you need to, Laxus," she said evenly. Her tone was reasonable, but to Laxus she seemed patronizing. _How dare she,_ he thought. _Who does she think she is to order me around,_ but he said nothing of this aloud. Gray was looking at them back-and-forth with mixed wariness and interest, while Mirajane studied her fingernails, both feet propped up against the seats. Natsu was still unconscious on the floor.

"If it were a private spat I wouldn't say anything, but they are wrecking _our_ guild hall," Erza continued, steel in her voice. "And they've injured our members. They've insulted our pride! As a fellow member, you can _not_ stand by and do nothing!"

Laxus glared at her. Matters of their pride? Oh, he knew that very well. Fairy Tail's position was already precarious like a brittle rock in a brewing storm; it could be easily uprooted and dispersed into the wind. If news of a rogue band of wizards wrecking and overpowering their members in their very own guild hall got out, very soon their reputation would be in tatters. And in a world where magic guilds lived off their prestige, poor repute would mean paltry income.

It didn't mean that he gave a damn.

"This, is exactly the reason why Fairy Tail is in this state," he said, barely managing to keep the snarl from his voice. "Every time something crops out, they crawl behind someone else's back and ask others to take the fire. Our _guild_ are a weak, cowardly bunch of people, and I don't care if they will be destroyed by some rogue band of wizards on our very own turf. Ask the other guilds in Fiore - it's _laughable."_

He stood up, threw the door open louder than necessary and climbed out the vehicle, lightning crackling warningly around his fists. Little did he know, Ertza's temper was also past fraying point.

"Oh for goodness' sake, for _once_ in your life, Laxus Dreyar," she began angrily, but before she could finish Laxus whirled around back to the vehicle furiously, his power simmering dangerously.

"Once in my life?" he hissed, lightning in his eyes. "You may have been here for little over a year, Erza, but I have been here all my life. Let me just say that this is not the first time, and this definitely will not be the last. If they want to call themselves a member of Fairy Tail, they should learn to fight, _on their own feet_."

For the first time since he'd known her, Erza looked stunned. Satisfied with that, he turned around to leave, not entirely certain where he was going, but away from them, where his roiling magic wouldn't accidentally incinerate the entire vehicle in a storm. Erza, however, wasn't done. A few steps later, she overtook him to stand in front of him again, blocking his way.

"I agree with you," she began. She looked up to meet his eyes, hers calm but fierce with determination, his a storm of anger and resentment. "Every member of Fairy Tail ought to learn to defend themselves properly, but – " she paused when Laxus rolled his eyes. " _But_ in the meantime, we must protect each other." She finished stubbornly. "Master needs you to defend Fairy Tail in his absence, Laxus," she said. "It's something we all need to do. I would turn around and go back immediately, but we can't reach the guild in time. Only you can."

Laxus forced himself into take a deep breath through his nostrils. The calm took a few moments to settle in, and though his anger remained largely unmelted, it was slightly more mellowed, and less destructive as before.

"And what if they fail to learn again and again?" he asked, finally, barely managing to keep the acerbic tone from his voice.

This time, Erza's reply was firm and almost challenging. "Then we defend them again and again," she said. "That's what a family does."

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

"That would be 200,000 Jewels please."

A pile of money was carelessly pushed across the counter. The lady counted the money meticulously to the last Jewel before finally looking up with a smile.

"Thank you for using our vehicle teleportation service. As soon as I press the button, the twin teleportation lacrima in their vehicle will be activated shortly. This will enable us to bring the vehicle and all those in it safely back here in Sakaar." She turned around and placed her hands on one of the magic crystals, which flared with light. "Counting down in 10, 9, 8…"

"Don't," Laxus said abruptly. The lady looked over at him in surprise. He seemed to be in a particularly dark mood. Outside, thunder boomed as heavy rain lashed against the windows.

"Start counting down from a hundred," Laxus told her. His voice was laced with irritation. "I have no intention of meeting them any sooner than I need to."

He brought up his hood and left.

The journey to the guild was simpler, though no less exertive. He tugged on a few tendrils of his magic, noting with no small amount of distaste the increased effort it was now costing him, before warping himself into lightning once more. With that he shot into the sky, the energy crackling protectively around his condensed form.

Presently he reached the outskirts, and some minutes later, the heart of Magnolia. He selected a deserted alleyway in the vicinity on random and began lancing downwards. His lightning struck the ground right at the moment both his feet touched the ground, leaving a faint scorch mark on the floor. Out of habit he scruffed out the mark on the floor with his boot before rounding the street.

Soon, he came face-to-face with the Fairy Tail's battered wooden door.

On the outside, it did not seem to have sustained heavy damage. There were ugly cracks and dents everywhere, but if one did not look closely, they slipped easily past primary inspection. Not so transparent however was the flickering sign reading 'THIEVES' hanging over the guild roof. It was also scribbled all over the windows. Reedus' Paint Magic was working hard to keep up the guild's appearances, but every now and then the mark the rogue wizards left behind continued to wink in and out of view.

Cautiously, Laxus brought up his hand to the knob and threw open the door.

Immediately he was assaulted by a volley of attacks from all directions. Glittering green fire wisped past his ear with an angry hiss, closely followed by a horde of sharp spearheads which hurled themselves at his head. He narrowly stepped past the attacks, only to duck sharply as a punching knucklehead plant reared up in his face to attack. He blocked it with his magic, pulverizing it instantly, but more kept coming. Something sharp swiped at his face, he dodged, and suddenly he found himself surrounded by a blaze of shuriken cards. Every time he striked them they rearranged themselves into a new pattern and began firing new attacks: first blinding light, then fire, then knives.

Eventually, Laxus gave up and called on the vestiges of his power. It strained him more than he cared to admit. In a split second the entire room was enveloped in a blinding flash of light; and when it winked out, all the physical weapons had been altogether incinerated. The shuriken cards struggled under the weight of the power for a moment before succumbing, drifting to the ground like fallen leaves.

Laxus whipped back his hood and glared daggers at the shocked guild members.

"Thank you very much for the welcome," he said sarcastically.

There followed a moment of disbelieving silence, before the guild members burst into conversation all at once amongst themselves.

" _Laxus?_ thought he was in the middle of a desert!"

"Finally! He sure took his time!"

"…told you it'd be no biggie, Ethan!"

And, from the corner near the bar,

"…finally I get to drink in peace again! I haven't gotten wasted since they came…"

"…Who else wants a beer?"

Laxus felt familiar anger prickle under his skin. It was he had expected. Already the fringes of the group was dispersing back to their tables, drinks in their hands, a look of contentment on their face. Those who remained looked completely untroubled, the fervour and concentration of the short battle already forgotten now that the onus of protecting the guild was no longer on them.

He really shouldn't have bothered to come, he thought darkly.

Before he could undo his decision, however, someone came rushing up to meet him.

"Laxus! You came!"

A man with a jet black hair cropped in the shape of a upside-down pudding bowl atop his head came into view. His face vaguely resembled a certain eight-legged sea creature. Laxus frowned; the others had been speaking of him before. The bloke who wielded Telepathy magic – Warren Rocko.

"-didn't know if you could make it in time, but it's great to see you here," Warren was saying jubilantly. "With you on our side we can easily handle them together!" He took looked almost ready to seize Laxus' hand and shake it.

"Oh come now, don't speak such nonsense Warren," Wakaba said with a sideways look, smoke curling from his pipe. "That's Makarov's grandson you're talking about. He could easily handle them all on his own, isn't that right, Laxus?"

He laughed easily and gave Laxus a friendly shove. He only meant it in jest, but Laxus' already poor mood darkened even further. He opened his mouth to say something derogatory, but just then he was cut off by a new speaker.

"Of course. Since when did Mr. I'm-Greater-Than-All-Of-You _ever_ need any help?" it sneered. "He can always handle it all on his own."

Laxus' eyes cut across to meet the newcomer. It was a man dressed from head-to-toe in a hideous black jumpsuit. Laxus had a faint recollection of him the man prancing around in the background during their brief… skirmish when Laxus had stepped into the guild hall. He didn't recall him causing any substantial damage however. Likely the man was of little import.

He lifted a sardonic eyebrow. "Have a problem?" Laxus said dangerously.

Warren cringed at his tone. He made an involuntary movement as though he were ready to throw himself in between the man-in-the-jumpsuit and Laxus, as if it could have stopped Laxus from incinerating the man right where he stood if he so wished. Laxus was certainly in the mood. But then right at that moment something else caught his attention. It was a faint scent in the air, velvety and caliginous. To Laxus it seemed familiar, yet it tasted strangely foreign when mingled with the guild hall's permanent miasma of alcohol and sweat.

The man-in-the-jumpsuit was saying something again, his tone sneering. Laxus turned around and left, barely noticing the other's red-faced sputters at being ignored, and traced the scent to the far end of the guild hall. Sitting on a bench with a few female mages clustered around him, laughing over drinks, was a face he would have never expected to see in Fairy Tail: Spectre. The thief Laxus had defeated and exposed nearly a month ago.

Laxus felt his blood boil at the sight of the two-faced thief. To think Spectre had the nerve to show his face here, on _his_ turf, was an insult he could not overlook. He took a few steps towards their table and raised his voice slightly over the growing din.

"Who is that?" he said coldly.

A few faces swung around to look at him, before looking back to Spectre, as if trying to determine what other possible individual could he be levelling such hatred at. Slowly, the voices in the guild hall diminished into a barely perceptible murmur, before hushing altogether. Spectre took one glance at him and ducked his head immediately, unable to meet his eyes.

"It's Ethan," one of the females replied eventually. "He got into a rough spot recently, and he's looking for somewhere to stay. We're waiting for Master to return and give him the stamp."

Laxus snorted. "A _rough spot_?" he said snidely. "I suppose it was too much to ask for someone to have investigated his background a little more thoroughly before letting him and his 'rough spot' through our doors!" he snapped.

Now things were beginning to make sense. There was no way a bunch of rogue wizards would begin to attack Fairy Tail out of nowhere, especially given their reputation. Despite the rumours of their crumbling strength, Fairy Tail's name ought to be enough to evoke enough fear to deter most enemies, much less a motley band of mages with no established guild. Laxus remembered the flickering sign he had seen hovering over their roof which the members had tried and failed to erase. 'THIEVES'. Because they were harbouring a criminal, their guild had effectively been labelled as such. If word got out, and Laxus suspected it must already have, their reputation would be irrevocably tarnished.

A few heads ducked away, unable to meet his gaze. Ethan simply sat frozen at the table, his head bowed. Some members however, remained defiantly stubborn in their idiocy.

"Hey, don't say it like that! Ethan got into some trouble with them in the past, it's not really his fault!" the female mage sitting beside him spoke up defensively. "It's true that those people came storming our guild demanding that we hand him over. But of course we couldn't do that – he's part of our guild too!"

A glance around showed that many others shared the sentiment as well. Laxus briefly wondered if the guild members were simply overly emotional and gullible, or if there were faint effects of Mind Magic in play. He glanced down at Spectre's folded hands on the table – they were once more adorned with a selection of rings, though none of them were as powerful as the one Laxus had encountered. Spectre's magic may no longer be the strong leash which forced its victims into abeyance, but even when applied lightly Mind Magic could be highly persuasive, especially to unsuspecting minds. After all, Laxus found it hard to believe that the majority of Fairy Tail would welcome a thief into their midst and stand up for him despite barely meeting 'Ethan' for a few days.

 _(They had never welcomed Laxus himself unless they needed his power, and he had been here for years.)_

The thought was sharp and bitter. Laxus bit it off before it could fully take form.

"Turn him out," Laxus ordered, his voice crisp and harsh. "Fairy Tail does not harbour vermin."

Instantly, the murmur of voices swelled, like frothing waves right before they crashed onto the shore. The looked at him, gobsmacked, as if they couldn't believe what they had just heard. Some were shocked, some incredulous, but the majority of them simply looked frightened.

"Bollocks Warren, why did you have to call this guy," one of them swore under his voice. "Now look at what you've done!"

Laxus didn't care. He turned on the heel of his foot to leave, his heart thudding in his chest angrily. Warren caught him first.

"Laxus, stop this, please," Warren began pleadingly. He was almost stumbling over his words in his rush. "Ethan just wants to turn over a new leaf. He's been in loads of trouble before, and he came to us asking for help when everyone else rejected him. Master always told us to give people second chances, remember? If Master were here, he would-"

"-welcome him with open arms, just like how he has welcomed a house full of useless _parasites_ like you under his roof!" Laxus finished venomously, furious, his patience gone. "Forgive me if I do not think it's been a greatendorsement of his _great_ judgement," he sneered.

Things took an immediate downhill from there. There was a shout, and a loud _bang!_ as something heavy soared past his head to crash into the wall before him. Laxus barely managed to avoid the brunt of it, but one of the bigger splinters caught his shoulder and bit deep into his flesh. Fresh crimson spread across his sleeve. Behind him, someone swore in a terrified voice, "Gods Max, don't-!" but Max, presumably the perpetrator, simply brushed off the other.

"No. _You_ are the one who should get the hell out!" he shouted at Laxus' back.

The whole guild went deathly silent. Wordlessly, Laxus ripped out the bloody splinter in his shoulder and threw it at the remains of the long bench lying on the floor, before turning around to face the other. It was a nondescript man with shoulder-length brown hair. His face was one of livid fury.

"I have had enough of you, spouting shit about what Fairy Tail should and shouldn't be," Max spat furiously. "Who do you think you are? Makarov's only grandchild who inherited his Saint-level magic, and who is going on to inherit his grandfather's guild, is that it? Is that why you strut around like you own this place and order us about?" he jeered.

"You should watch your tongue," Laxus said dangerously. Warren chanced a nervous look at Laxus, but it was like watching a runaway train; there was no stopping them now.

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking," Max continued, his voice a snarl of fury. "Every time you step into this hall, you look at us like we're not even worth the _dirt_ you step on. You're a power hungry monster who trains those you view _promising to death_ , and the rest of us you would gladly throw to the curb. Your dragon-slayer apprentice? Pah! You don't even truly care about him at all!"

"You know _nothing-_ "

"Forget it! _You_ are nothing more than Makarov's grandson, and you never will be. I would rather see Fairy Tail _destroyed,_ than have you as our guild Master! So stop throwing your shit around about who stays and who doesn't. If it were up to us to decide, _you_ wouldn't be here at all!" Max shouted.

The look on Laxus' face was absolutely terrifying. In a single stride he had reached Max, and he lifted him off his feet, his hand fisted over Max's collar. A collective intake of breath was heard, at the same time Macao and a few others advanced immediately in fear for their friend's life, their hands fluttering about uselessly in futile gestures meant to make Laxus release Max.

"Stop it guys, you have to stop it, calm down - "

"Let go of him – Laxus, let g-"

Laxus ignored all of them. There was nothing anyone in the room could do to force him, and they knew it. He held Max up to his eye-level, ignoring the other's desperate thrashing in his iron grip. With a loud resounding _boom,_ a crack of thunder lanced down through the roof and blasted a hole in the middle of the floor at his command. Someone let out a scream, and all lights in the room abruptly went out.

" _This_ is myown power, not _Makarov's,_ " Laxus hissed. His eyes were dark and angry, bitter decade-old resentments welling up to the surface. "I trained myself for _years_ when I was mocked for being weak to attain this power. _Do not undermine me by invoking_ Makarov's _name as an excuse."_

Thunder boomed overhead in response to his roiling power, the crackling air tasting like ozone. Max was now panting for air as he thrashed furiously in Laxus' grip. Macao and three others redoubled their efforts to rescue Max from his hold, but even in his poor condition, Laxus' strength was like steel.

"As for _caring_? I have seen many times how it has led people astray. I do not intend to make the mistake of having such a pathetic liability. How I train Natsu, to death or not, is none of your business!" He raised Max even higher into the air, causing the other to make a terrible choking noise.

"Oh and one last thing," Laxus continued, completely oblivious to the shock and horror of the other guild members, "I admit I do see you as dirt beneath my feet. But that's only because _you are._ "

He dropped Max to the floor unceremoniously, taking vindictive pleasure from the way the other crumpled to the ground, wheezing for air. He looked around at the rest of the guild members, who were watching him with a mixture of anger and fear. Most flinched back when they met his gaze. He smirked.

"Good luck on trying to protect your new _family member_ ," he sneered.

He turned and called upon his lightning, and in a flash, he was gone.

* * *

 **[3] – The Eternal Flame (2)**

The night which fell over the desert was a vast, velvety blanket peppered with stars. As evening drew into a close, twilight had faded into the horizon, melting the dark orange-topped dunes so that they became part of the sky.

Far in the distance a large, bright orb rose. Cold moonlight spilt over him, unapologetically delineating his lone shadow in a stark outline against the glittering sand. He felt a flash of hatred, before it was quickly smothered by overwhelming tiredness.

"A full four hundred years, and you would still torment me so," he said with a mirthless smile.

Still, at least out here in the wilderness, it was quiet. It was perhaps the only felicitous feature of the desert. He turned his back on the moon, which seemed to mock his silhouette, and began his dogged descent down a steep slope, his jaw clenched. He tried his best to anchor onto the perfect, deathly stillness of the air, and how it calmed him – but the light seemed to cling onto his black robes, dredging up memories a few lifetimes too heavy for any mortal to bear.

A few steps later, he gave in to his initial impulse and simply ripped a hole in the fabric of space and stepped through in between the worlds. Moments later, he was standing on top of a small hillock in the middle of a village, breathing heavily in the crisp night air. A large temple loomed before him, its magnificent shadow falling protectively over the small town. It also conveniently blocked out the moon.

The village was strangely dead. Normally there would be a few giants holding up orbs of flames as they patrolled the borders. He turned around to face the unguarded temple, before abruptly noticing the floor beneath his feet. It was hard and slippery, and, he noted with a small measure of surprise, _cold._ His gaze travelled from the temple to the heavy-set staircase leading down from the hillock, to the quiet village, before realizing what had happened. Sun Village was completely encased in ice.

For a moment he felt a dull sense of loss. The giants, or more accurately the Nords – had been the last of their kind. They used to be the guards of the Old Palace, and at one point even the Royal Academy he had attended for a few years, but after the continuous wars with the dragons their numbers had been whittled down to a scarce few. He had, by some magical persuasion and orchestrated coincidence, arranged for them to rebuild and settle down in the village. Later on, Atlas Flame, one of Igneel's greatest allies, who was mortally wounded in battle, was allowed to take refuge in the temple while the dragon entered an eternal magical hibernation, where it continued to drift pitifully between life and death for centuries. Eventually the dragon became a mystical source of fire which the Nords took to worshipping, and its true identity was forgotten.

Now they were all gone, like the nature of everything else around him. He briefly entertained the idea of erecting new defence measures of his own, before instantly dismissing it as unnecessary. What he sought to protect held little value for the rest of the world, after all.

He walked up the large ice-covered marble steps to the temple and flung open the double-doors with a wave of hand. Opulent darkness cloaked every inch of the temple, confirming his initial thoughts. Atlas Flame had finally been completely extinguished.

He paid the thought little heed. He had had few interactions with the dragon; most of what he knew of the dragon had been in passing, mostly from Igneel. If anything, he was envious of it. Some of the ancient tribes had described dragons as cursed creatures; monsters of from hell sent to earth to be punished, because of their long mortality. It had taken a mortally wounded dragon centuries to die, after all. But him alone was condemned to suffer, to live through one lifetime and the next, the next, and the next, drifting alone on the choppy waters into nothingness.

He reached the end of the hall, stalking past the spire of Atlas' frozen flames which towered to reach the ceiling, and reached for the whitewashed wall. His hand went through it instantly. The defences he himself had constructed centuries ago reared up its head, before withdrawing when they recognized his magic signature. He dispelled the illusion easily, and a rush of night breeze rustled up to greet him.

He stepped through the wall into small plain garden at the back of the temple. There, on the cold solid ground, was a roughly hewn stone was thrust into the ground, marking the only spot where he had once lived.

 _In loving memory of  
CAIR  
HELENA &  
NATSU DRAGNEEL_

 _Rest in peace_

He brought his back foot to a stop beside the other, and stared down at the graves. The memory of a screaming dark-haired boy clutching at the cold gravestones flickered at the back of his memory, whole centuries ago. Standing there, here and now, it was difficult to understand his younger self's pain. At least they had been able to move on, he thought. At least their suffering could end. How he wished _he_ was lying there with them too, feet deep in ice and rock, his heart and mind finally, finally, quiet.

He didn't kneel before them, didn't say a word. After four hundred years, even the death anniversary of his once family seemed small and unimportant. Sometimes he even wondered why he still remembered. Over the last century his visits had dwindled considerably until he barely visited anymore. This year was just another day marking another full cycle as meaningless as the last.

For a moment he stood there on the hillock overlooking the frozen village, eyes closed, the moon from centuries ago seeming to bear down him mercilessly. Then out of the blue, a sharp ringing clangour shattered his the stillness of the night. He whirled around, his magic gathering around him angrily, ready to strike down the intruder.

"Igneel! IGNEEL! Where are you?"

His heart fell to the bottom of his stomach. He dispelled the illusion to see through the wall clearer, his eyes widening in shock.

Natsu was standing there, in the heart of Atlas Flames' temple, a look of stubborn determination on his face. The tufts of pink spiky hair on his head was unkempt as ever, the dragon-scale scarf wrapped protectively around his neck, just like the day he had left him for good with Igneel.

"Natsu! Don't be so loud, he might still be around!" a female's voice hissed sharply.

There was a snort at this. "You might as well tell him to stop breathing."

"Watch it Gray," another voice said dangerously. "If he was a wizard skilled enough to encase this entire village in ice, I would not want to cross paths with him."

"Shouldn't we be going back any minute now?" one of them said worriedly. "What if the teleportation lacrima goes off without us on the vehicle?"

Zeref only had eyes for one of them. He followed Natsu's figure alone blankly, barely daring to believe it. His foot twitched involuntarily, as if he were going to move forwards, before he flinched back violently. He turned sharply on his heel, almost slipping on ice in his haste, and drew up a protective wave of magic to fortify the illusion of the wall. There he wrapped himself tighter still in his cloak, his hands shaking. The grave before him blurred into phosphenes of colours.

The moment Natsu's first breath misted against the lacrima, his powerful joy swiftly followed by overwhelming terror, backing out and scampering away from his own creation – black magic exploding out of his body the moment he slammed the door – all of a sudden the memories came ringing back in sharp-edged clarity, like a shard of glass twisting itself in the tangled knots of his brain. He forced himself to inhale sharply through his nose. He couldn't meet Natsu now, not in this volatile state. Not until E.N.D. grew stronger, until he was finally capable of ending his life, like it should have been centuries ago.

He walked over to the edge, ready to tear a rift through space to walk through it back into the desert, when a man's chilling voice suddenly caught his attention.

"Which of you is the demon?"

The word struck him with the force of a blow. He froze completely, barely daring to breathe. He had been so distracted by seeing Natsu, he had not paid attention to any newcomers. But at the same time, there was no way anyone could know; it was impossible. It had to only be a coincidence –

"I can tell from the effects of your magic," the man's voice said warningly. "Tell me. _WHO IS THE DEMON- ARGH!"_

A sea of brilliant flames lit up in the corner of his vision; he whirled around and saw the entire hall was ablaze with a dragon's flames. For a wild moment he thought that Atlas Flame had awoken from his slumber, but then Natsu was standing in the centre, his narrowed eyes blazing with anger and determination.

"The only demon here is you!" Natsu shouted back.

Zeref stared at Natsu in shock. It seemed like Natsu had just arrived into this end of the century, but his power was already almost as strong as an ordinary adult mage. The figure who had cornered them in the temple was sent flying backwards by the force of the blast, where he crashed against the pillar of frozen fire which marked Atlas Flames' grave. However, the man simply bounced off the ice to land before the Natsu again, looking completely unharmed.

"Well there's only one way to find out then," the man said, before calling upon his power. **"Ice Devil's Rage-!"**

Between one moment and the next, Zeref ripped apart a hole in space and stepped through it, just as a violent blizzard screamed into the air and slammed into his torso. He barely managed to fumble together enough magical energy to dissipate the brunt of its force, but most of it still sent him rocketing backwards to crash painfully into the wall. Pain slammed into him, and something warm trickled down the back of his neck to seep into his robes. With a jolt he realized that he was bleeding. He had been so used to being untouchable, undefeatable, that physical pain had become a foreign sensation altogether.

"-OI! Are you alright?"

He opened an eye to see Natsu peering at him closely, spiky pink hair framing his face, eyes wide with concern. Shock and fear jolted him out of his stupor, and he reacted instinctively. A pinball of magic dove out of the air and caught Natsu neatly, sending him back to relative safety at the opposite end of the temple, away from him and his curse. At the same time, the other wizard fired another bolt of energy, and with his mind distracted on trying to withhold the black energy which was bubbling violently in his core, the next bolt of ice pierced right through his flimsy defence. He felt one of his ribs crack under the force.

"-atsu! Natsu! The vehicle is glowing! It's leaving any second!" someone was screaming.

"We can't leave him there!"

Zeref muttered a brief incantation under his breath, and the worst of the pain instantly abated. It would cost him double the damage later, but he didn't mind. If it could kill him, all the better. He forced himself to his feet, ignoring the way the world swayed in a confusion of noise and colours and magic. His vision regained its focus slowly, and he found himself staring again at the small young boy he had created, standing at the frame of the door, looking torn. In the next breath, he pivoted and fired a dark purple spell at the man who had attacked them, forcing the other's mind into sleep. The other struggled admirably under his power, but faced with a black wizard with centuries' worth of practice and repertoire, the man stood no chance. He collapsed to the floor in seconds.

He turned back to face Natsu. The world paused in that single frame; Natsu's silhouette dark against the doorframe, where his companions were standing. Still alive, still breathing under the same moon he had died under four hundred years ago.

"I won't forget you!" Natsu called out suddenly. "I will repay you someday. Thanks a lot for just now!"

Natsu's grin was bright and mischievous. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Train well and become a powerful mage," he said instead. His voice was silky and unconcerned, completely detached from the vortex of pain which threatened to swallow him whole. "That is how you'll repay me."

 _(When you finally destroy me.)_

He turned into the shadows, barely able to keep his back ramrod straight as was his norm. Pain was clawing through his brain, eating at him, but he forced down an iron hold on it. Just a little while longer, until Natsu was safely out of his reach, safely out of his reach-

The curse reared up its ugly head, howling. With a last look at the now empty doorway, Zeref ripped a hole through space and stumbled through it, into the cold, empty dunes of the desert, where his curse finally screamed into the wind.

* * *

 _A/N: I have not managed to edit the last part of the story in my haste to upload it. Things are getting beautifully messy, and I'm quite excited for what follows. I may come back to make little changes to it if I'm unsatisfied with it. In the meantime, kindly overlook any potential mistakes – and as usual, tell me what you loved and what you didn't. Thank you! :3_


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